Used Private Jet Maintenance and Marketability Trends for 2022

With the demand for private aviation on the rise, jet buyers will have some strong competition as they look to buy preowned jets for sale to add to their fleets. But despite the competition, aircraft that come up for sale are still good quality, despite being heavily picked over.

Let’s explore the latest market trends in private aviation, as of early 2022. And remember: when you’re ready to buy a business jet, work with the industry’s most ethical dealers to get the best deal and service: the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) Accredited Dealers.

Used Private Jet Models to Watch
Based on all available data, January 2022’s used aircraft models improved their Maintenance Exposure percentage, plus an Ask Price increase. These numbers are ideal for the seller more so than the buyer, and we’re not surprised to see a number of Cessna Citation aircraft make the list.

• Cessna Citation V 560

Despite ending the year with a “Most Deteriorated” sales ranking from AV Buyer magazine, the Citation V 560 saw a major Maintenance Exposure decrease, plus an Ask Price increase of $131,000.

• Gulfstream GIV-SP

A Maintenance Exposure decrease and an Ask Price at $346,000 landed this Gulfstream private jet on AV Buyer’s top five list for the fourth time

• Cessna Citation CJ2

The Cessna CJ2 saw a decrease in Maintenance Exposure with an Ask Price increase of $705,000. Inventory of the CJ2 made up 3 percent of the active fleet in January.

• Gulfstream G200

An increased asking price of more than $1 million and a 17 percent improvement in ETP ratio put the Gulfstream G200 on our watch list.

• Bombardier Challenger 601-3A
  A Maintenance Exposure decrease and an Ask Price increase nearing $163,000 surprised everyone, particularly because the 601-3A is an older aircraft. But in today’s private aviation climate, expect the unexpected.

It remains to be seen whether these numbers will continue their trend for the remainder of 2022.

Quality Rating and Value Trends
AV Buyer magazine, which measures demand on a six-point scale, with 0.00 being the lowest and 5.00 being the highest demand, notes that 2021 ended at a record high demand of 4.40.

Quality of aircraft available for sale improved over the fourth quarter last year, while ask prices for listed used private jets for sale increased 5.8 percent in January. The average is still down 12.3 percent year over year, but with fewer jets to select from, the trend makes sense. Newer aircraft with fewer cycles are selling even before they’re listed, generating record high transaction values.

• Ask price for large jets climbed to a 12-month high of 30.9 percent higher year over year, despite a 12.5 percent inventory decrease for the month of January 2022.

• Mid-size jets improved 17.8 percent in January 2022, still 16.5 percent lower year over year. Availability decreased 22.5 percent during January.

• Light jets and turboprops saw the least growth and popularity, with ask prices rising 0.3 percent for light jets and decreasing 8.6 percent for turboprops.

Maintenance Exposure Trends on Private Jets for Sale
The Quality Rating improvement seen across categories signifies fewer upcoming maintenance events. These maintenance events will be more expensive to complete, particularly because Maintenance Exposure increased in cost by 10.2 percent during the last two months of 2021.

Maintenance Exposure was highest for large jets, increasing 3.6 percent, to 10.8 percent higher year over year. Midsize jets climbed 2.2 percent, or 5.1 percent worse year over year. Light jets increased 2.2 percent, but saw a year over year improvement - a decrease in maintenance cost - of 1.9 percent. Finally, turboprops also increased by 2.9 percent in January 2022, and to 11.7 percent year over year, the largest change of any used private jet category.

ETP Ratio Trend for Preowned Jets for Sale
Maintenance Exposure to Ask Price Ratio, or ETP Ratio, is an indicator of an aircraft’s marketability. To calculate the ETP ratio, divide the aircraft’s Maintenance Exposure - the financial liability accrued for future scheduled maintenance events - by the aircraft’s Ask Price.

In January 2022, the ETP ratio posted its second consecutive all-time high figure, at 82.1 percent, although it isn’t surprising. The inventory’s average days on market rose by 11 percent at the end of 2021. However, such high ETP ratios don’t indicate a value price. But it isn’t really stopping individuals or companies intent on owning a private jet.

ETP ratios were as follows for each category, at the start of the calendar year:

• Large Jets: 67.4 percent

• Mid-Size Jets: 82 percent

• Light Jets: 111.6 percent

• Turboprops 49.1 percent

Why You Should Shop for Private Jets for Sale Exclusively on AircraftExchange.com
It’s smart to get the latest aviation market statistics from around the industry, so you can make an informed purchasing and ownership decision. But it’s even smarter to shop for a used private jet on AircraftExchange.com, the only listing site where every jet for sale is vetted by the world’s most ethical aircraft dealers.

The search portal was created to provide jet buyers with a trustworthy way to purchase pre-owned business jets from International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) Accredited Dealers. Only Accredited Aircraft Dealers can list used aircraft for sale on the site, and to maintain that ability, they must participate in private aviation continuing education related to aircraft sales and acquisitions.

Find an IADA Accredited Aircraft Dealer to begin your journey to owning a private jet.