Business aviation data provider Amstat (Booth 2968) has noted increasing sales activity in the industry of late. According to the Tinton Falls, N.J.-based company, a greater percentage of the active fleet of business jets (7.8 percent) sold in the first nine months of 2014 than in the same period in any year over the last decade.
In the recently ended third quarter, the size of the business jet fleet for sale shrank to 11.2 percent, making it the lowest percentage seen since March 2008, before the start of the economic downturn. “The business jet transaction activity is clearly leading today’s resale market recovery,” said Amstat general manager Andrew Young.
In terms of pricing, asking prices for heavy jets have steadily increased since 2012, with a peak in April at an average of $15.4 million, but have since declined to $14.8 million. Medium jet asking prices have declined 5.3 percent over the past year, while light jets, which had been trending downward, have increased by 2.5 percent since July.
In the turboprop segment, however, inventory has remained flat at about 8 percent since early 2013, while asking prices have decreased by 4 percent over the past year to an average of $1.3 million. In the recently ended quarter, just 1.9 percent of the active turboprop fleet changed hands, making it one of the least active quarters in recent history.
