Report Includes Pre-Owned Business Jet, Business Turboprop, Helicopter, And Commercial Airliner Market Information

JETNET has released September 2014 and the first nine months of 2014 results for the pre-owned business jet, business turboprop, helicopter, and commercial airliner markets.

According to the report, key worldwide trends across all aircraft market segments, in comparing September 2014 to September 2013, show “Fleet For Sale” percentages for business jet and commercial jet market sectors were down in the September comparisons, but stayed the same or increased slightly in the other markets. This is the lowest percentage (11.6%) for business jets since the great recession began. However, the total number for sale is still above the 2,300 mark.

Some very good news! Business jets are showing a strong start in the first nine months of 2014. Compared to last year, pre-owned sale transactions are up 12.1%, average asking price is down 10.4%, and they are taking 43 fewer days to sell. Business turboprop sale transactions decreased 16.1%, along with a double-digit decrease in asking price of 10.3%.

Both turbine and piston helicopters saw declines in sale transactions YTD at 3.8% and 13.5%, respectively. Turbine helicopters recorded a modest decrease in average asking price, down 0.2% in the YTD comparisons through September 2014. All market segments showed decreasing asking prices compared to last year.

Commercial airliners trends include the numbers for sale for both commercial jets (including airliners converted to VIP) and commercial turboprops. Commercial jet YTD sale transactions (at 1,334) are trailing business jets. However, both market sectors have surpassed the 1,000 mark for YTD sale transactions, significant compared to other market segments.

For the first nine months of 2014, there have been more than 5,800 pre-owned commercial and business jets, turboprops, and helicopters sold, with commercial jets and business jets leading all types.

Real gross domestic product—the value of the production of goods and services in the United States, adjusted for price changes—increased at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2014, according to the “advance” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). In the second quarter, real GDP increased 4.6 percent.

The BEA report—of GDP changes by quarter since 2009—shows that U.S. GDP has been well above the 3.0 percent growth mark (when business aviation does well) for two consecutive quarters. The U.S. economy grew 4.6% in the second quarter, and is estimated at 3.5% in the third quarter of 2014. “The really ugly GDP report for the first quarter (-2.1%) was likely the result of mostly one-off events,” said Bob Baur, chief global economist for Principal Global Investors. This news is very good, as it complements the strong growth witnessed in the year-to-date pre-owned business jet results shown in Table A. However, the turboprop, helicopter, and commercial market segments are not faring as well.

Since 1988, JETNET has delivered the most comprehensive and reliable business aircraft research to its exclusive clientele of aviation professionals worldwide. JETNET is the ultimate source for information and intelligence on the worldwide business, commercial, and helicopter aircraft fleet and marketplace, comprised of some 100,000 airframes.

FMI: www.jetnet.com