As 2025 comes to an end, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on what shaped this year’s preowned business jet market. The fourth quarter is always busy, but this year brought a unique level of intensity, driven by economic uncertainty early on and a surge of confident buyers later in the year. Here’s my perspective on what we experienced in 2025—and what I expect as we head into 2026.
This time of year, putting deals together becomes much more fast-paced and competitive. In any given model segment, you might see 20 aircraft on the market, but once you filter by criteria—U.S. registry, engine programs, total time, maintenance pedigree—you quickly narrow that list down to five or six real contenders.
From there, things move quickly.
I may call on an aircraft today, and two days later it’s already under contract. So many people are trying to accomplish the same thing at the same time, and the speed of transactions creates a sense of urgency that you don’t see earlier in the year.
At year-end, buyers simply don’t have as much time to analyze data, negotiate terms, line up a pre-purchase facility, complete the inspection, and address discrepancies. Everything compresses.
People delay purchases for many reasons, but 2025 had some standout factors:
The middle of the year was slower. We were all watching questions about tariffs, interest rates, and a new president. The One Big Beautiful Bill didn’t pass until the summer, and if you were thinking about buying early in the year, you might have chosen to wait and see what happened.
By October, many business owners had a clearer picture of their earnings—and a lot of them had a strong year.
When clients see that, they often say, “It’s time to upgrade the airplane,” especially with bonus depreciation now at 100%. If the company had a profitable year, owners naturally want to take advantage of that benefit sooner rather than later.
If someone is operating a 20-year-old aircraft and business is good, they start thinking about buying something newer, maybe a six- or seven-year-old airplane. That ongoing fleet modernization continues to drive demand.
Charter, fractional ownership, partnerships, corporate flight departments—there are so many avenues for people to use business aviation today. That variety keeps interest high across demographic groups.
Overall, I believe the economy will continue to grow, and sentiment remains positive. Some of the tax reductions from the latest bill won’t kick in until 2026, which should support further activity.
We’re also seeing a cultural shift. People—especially younger generations—are prioritizing travel more than ever. After COVID, the desire to explore the world has only strengthened. All of these forces support a healthy outlook for business aviation moving forward.
There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline. It really depends on the client and how familiar they are with aircraft ownership.
Some people take 120 days to six months from our initial conversation to a closing because they want time to digest the information. Others make decisions quickly and want to move aggressively.
Right now, I’m working with a client who wants to complete a deal within 45 days of our first call. That means I have to present options faster, push for decisions sooner, and accelerate research—especially if they’re targeting a year-end closing.
Even a very clean airplane can have one issue that requires engineering involvement, which adds time. Conversely, a pre-purchase with only a few small discrepancies might move quickly. Major corrosion or structural findings can extend downtime to six to nine months.
It’s important for buyers to understand that ownership comes with ongoing expenses:
insurance, crew salaries, training, hotels, catering, hangar space, and more. You can expect to spend $1–1.5 million per year to operate a business jet, depending on the make and model.
If everything aligns, the fastest you can realistically go from signing an LOI to closing is about six weeks.
Despite a slow start in 2025, the market rebounded strongly as economic clarity improved. Solid financial performance, bonus depreciation, and continued demand for newer aircraft helped drive robust activity in the final quarter.
As we prepare for 2026, the fundamentals look strong. Whether you’re buying or selling, the earlier you start planning, the more flexibility you’ll have in the process. My team at Duncan Aviation and I are here to help guide you every step of the way.
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