In its third-quarter analysis, Boutsen noted a general increase in business jet inventory for sale despite a 5% rise in aircraft transactions across all categories versus a year ago.
“2024 is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic years for corporate aviation sales. After transitioning from the third quarter last month and as we move deeper into the year's final months, we expect to see an even greater acceleration in activity. With increasing inventories and transaction rates, supply is set to follow demand,” the company said.
The light jet category saw the largest inventory growth in the quarter at 24%, with Boutsen suggesting this was “driven by owners looking to upgrade and manufacturers releasing new models.” According to the broker, 8.1% of the light jet fleet is up for sale, up 1.4 percentage points from third-quarter 2023. Transactions rose 5% in the quarter versus a year ago.
Midsize jet inventory rose by 22% between July and this month, equating to 7.2% of the active fleet on the market. That marks a 1.3 percentage point increase in inventory versus a year ago, while transactions slipped by 0.5%.
Heavy jets experienced a 12% growth in inventory during the quarter, bringing it to 7.2% of the active fleet—up slightly from a year ago. Transactions in this segment climbed 4% year over year.