Pre-Owned Jet Inventory Remains Lower Than Pre-COVID Levels, Putting Pressure on Asking Prices

According to new Sandhills Global aviation market reports, pre-owned jet inventory levels remain low despite monthly upticks. The reports, which cover April data for used jets, piston-single aircraft, turboprop aircraft, and Robinson piston helicopters on Sandhills platforms, show jet inventory nearly 8% lower than year-ago levels.

“Used jet inventory levels are lower than they have been in a long time,” says Controller Sales Manager Terrin Mohl. “So we may start to see pre-owned jet prices increase.”

Sandhills’ aviation products include Controller, Controller EMEA, Executive Controller, Charter Hub, Aviation Trader, Aircraft Cost Calculator, and AircraftValuation. AircraftValuation is Sandhills’ proprietary asset valuation tool for all types of aircraft, built using the same technology behind Value Insight Portal (VIP and VIP+). Widely used and trusted across equipment, truck, and trailer industries, VIP identifies asset values with unparalleled accuracy.

The key metric in all of Sandhills’ market reports is the Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI). Buyers and sellers can use the information in the Sandhills EVI to monitor equipment markets and maximize returns on acquisition, liquidation, and related business decisions. The Sandhills EVI data include equipment available in auction and retail markets, as well as model-year equipment actively in use. 

Market Report Details

This report includes detailed analyses of asking values and inventory trends in used aircraft markets, along with charts that help readers visualize the data. It describes and quantifies important trends in the buying and selling of used jet, piston-single, turboprop, and Robinson piston helicopter aircraft.

Global Used Jet Aircraft

• Pre-owned jet inventory levels held steady in April, edging up 0.29% month over month but dipping 7.73% year over year. The used large jet category had the most significant impact on jet market inventory levels, posting decreases of 7.26% M/M and 21.7% Y/Y.
• Asking values began a steady trend in March; this continued in April. Used jet asking prices rose 3.32% M/M but slipped 1.15% Y/Y. The largest changes occurred in the used large jet category, with asking prices increasing 3.88% M/M and decreasing 3.33% Y/Y.

U.S. and Canada Used Piston-Single Aircraft

• Inventory levels in this market decreased in April, with a modest 0.33% M/M decrease and a more substantial 17.63% Y/Y drop. Used piston-single aircraft inventory levels are currently trending sideways.
• Asking prices were down 0.57% M/M and 0.74% Y/Y, continuing a 5-month-long sideways trend.

Global Used Turboprop Aircraft

• Used turboprop aircraft inventory levels are trending down, a pattern that has persisted for five consecutive months. Inventory levels decreased 5.85% M/M and 7.89% Y/Y in April.
• Asking prices slipped 0.74% M/M and dropped 2.79% Y/Y and are trending steady.

Global Used Robinson Piston Helicopters

• Inventory levels in this market dipped 2.68% M/M in April but rose 25.29% Y/Y and are trending up.
• Asking values fell 4.68% M/M and 1.67% Y/Y and are trending down.

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About the Sandhills Equipment Value Index

The Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI) is a principal gauge of the estimated market values of used assets—both currently and over time—across the construction, agricultural, commercial trucking, and aviation industries represented by Sandhills Global platforms, including Controller.com, AuctionTime.com, TractorHouse.com, MachineryTrader.com, TruckPaper.com, and other industry-specific equipment platforms. Powered by VIP+ and AircraftEvaluator, Sandhills’ proprietary asset valuation tools, Sandhills EVI provides useful insights into the ever-changing supply-and-demand conditions for each industry.