Analysis of February 2021’s data from AMSTAT reveals that 2,227 pre-owned jets were purchased globally last year, worth over an estimated $14.5 billion. Colibri Aircraft’s analysis reveals that 2,067 pre-owned jets were purchased in 2019, 1,495 of these sales taking place in the USA, and 152 in Europe.
In the USA, the market which accounts for over 70% of pre-owned jets purchases annually, 2020 saw a 9.5% increase in sales when compared to the previous year – 1,637 sales versus 1,495.
Europe is the second-biggest market for the purchase of pre-owned jets, with 154 bought last year, compared to 152 in 2019. South America is the third-largest market, with 122 pre-owned jets purchased in 2020.
In terms of the type of pre-owned private jets bought last year, in the USA, 738 were light jets, 566 were medium jets and 333 heavy jets. The most popular pre-owned aircraft purchased was the Cessna Citation CJ 3 (51 purchases).
In Europe, 64 pre-owned light jets were purchased in 2020 – 46 medium jets and 44 heavy jets. The most popular models purchased were the Citation Mustang (six purchases) and the Citation Jet (six purchases).
The sale of pre-owned private aircraft has held up well because the benefits of flying privately have been clearly illustrated during the coronavirus crisis. As the commercial aviation sector has suffered, business aviation has held up relatively well, and it has welcomed many new people who have never flown privately before.
The number of private aviation flights in Q4 of last year was down only 16% in the USA when compared to the same period in 2019, and the corresponding figure for Europe is a fall of 21% (WINGX data). For commercial aviation, there were 63% fewer flights in the USA, and a fall of 82% in Europe (ACI Europe and TSA.gov data).
Colibri Aircraft Ltd specialises in the marketing, resale and purchase of pre-owned private aircraft around the world.
