Used-Jet Inventory Hits Its Tightest Level Since Early 2024

A tight preowned market, record fractional utilisation and a long-range programme slipping three years — here is the last 24 hours in private aviation.

Used-jet inventory is the tightest it has been since early 2024

Listed turbine inventory finished June at 5.8% of the active fleet, the lowest reading since February 2024 and well below the 7.2% ten-year average, according to GlobalAir. Jets specifically sit at 6.5% for sale against an 8.1% historical norm. Sandhills Global reported July inventory down 22.97% year over year, so anyone shopping a late-model airframe this autumn should expect fewer choices and less negotiating room.

Preowned transactions climbed double digits while asking prices stayed soft

AMSTAT recorded an 11.2% year-over-year rise in preowned business aircraft transactions in Q2, and IADA brokers reported first-half private jet sales up 21%. Asking prices moved the other way — Sandhills has used jet values up 3.02% month over month but down 1.06% year over year. Volume, not price, is carrying this market.

Gulfstream delivered 41 jets in Q2 and is tracking toward roughly 160 for the year

Aviation Week reports Gulfstream handed over 35 large-cabin and six mid-cabin aircraft in the second quarter, taking first-half deliveries to 79 against 74 a year ago. IBA expects the wider industry to reach 884 business jet deliveries in 2026, a 6.5% rise, with completions capacity rather than demand setting the ceiling.

NetJets and Flexjet each flew 11% more hours than last year

Both fractional operators posted Q2 utilisation well ahead of 2025, per Aviation Week, and first-half private flight segments are running 4% up year over year and 35% above 2019. NetJets has also curtailed jet card sales to protect fractional owners, per Forbes, while taking around 100 new jets this year — a squeeze that competitors are openly courting.

Global private jet departures topped 78,000 in a single week

WingX logged more than 78,000 departures in the week ending 9 August, up 2.3% year over year and powered by a 4% gain in US flights, according to Private Jet Card Comparisons. It was the first weekly year-over-year increase in three weeks, after Week 31 came in 2.4% down.

Dassault has pushed the Falcon 10X into service to 2029

The largest-cabin business jet in development flew for the first time on 19 June, but Dassault has now extended entry into service by up to two years, citing a materially tougher certification environment post-737 Max. Buyers waiting on the 10X have a longer runway than expected.

Embraer posted a record second quarter and cleared the Praetor 500E through three regulators

Embraer reported record Q2 performance, per Aviation International News, after delivering 29 business jets in Q1 alone — up 26% year over year. The upgraded Praetor 500E secured FAA, EASA and ANAC certification in late June.

Textron flew the CJ3 Gen3 prototype as MEBAA lines up 100-plus exhibitors

The Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen3 prototype has completed its first flight, moving the light jet toward certification. Separately, organisers expect more than 100 exhibitors — Gulfstream, Bombardier and Dassault among them — at the MEBAA show in Dubai from 8 to 10 December.

FBO capacity keeps expanding at the busy ends of the network

Jet Aviation's 27-acre facility at Miami-Opa Locka is now fully operational with an 8,500 sq ft terminal and 40,000 sq ft of new hangarage, while Avflight has acquired an Executive Air facility at Green Bay as its 27th FBO. NBAA, meanwhile, welcomed the FAA and FCC final rule on mandatory radio altimeter replacement and continues to push for restrictions on public distribution of aircraft registry data.