JETNET has released September 2015 and the first nine months of 2015 results for the pre-owned business jet, business turboprop, helicopter, and commercial airliner markets.

Key worldwide trends across all aircraft market segments compared September 2015 to September 2014. Fleet For Sale percentages for all market sectors were mixed in the September comparisons. Business jets and piston helicopters showed the largest declines in Percentages For Sale compared to the other markets.

This is the lowest percentage (11.2%) for business jets that we have seen since the great recession began. However, the total number for sale is still above the 2,200 mark.

Business jets are still showing a decline (2.8%) in pre-owned sale transactions in the first nine months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, but have improved compared to earlier in the year. The first and second quarters were down 13.5% and 6.1%, respectively. Also, business jets are taking less time to sell (39 days) than last year. However, there was a 6.8% increase in average asking price. Business turboprops decreased 8.9% in sale transactions, with an increase in asking price of 3.6% as well. Further analysis of the asking price increase has revealed that on average, newer aircraft were sold in the first nine months comparison.

Turbine helicopters saw a double-digit decline in sale transactions YTD, down 12.9%. However, piston helicopters recorded a 5.3% improvement in sale transactions. Both turbine and piston helicopter segments showed decreasing asking prices compared to last year.

Commercial airliners reported by JETNET include the numbers for sale for both commercial jets (including airliners converted to VIP) and commercial turboprops. Commercial jet YTD sale transactions (at 1,316) are trailing business jet sale transactions (at almost 1,800). However, the pre-owned business jet and pre-owned commercial jet market sectors are the only ones that have surpassed the 1,000 mark for YTD sale transactions.

For the first nine months of 2015, there were 6,048 pre-owned commercial and business jets, turboprops, and helicopters sold. This is a decrease of 376 - or 5.9% - sale transactions compared to 2014.

U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Real GDP - the value of the production of goods and services in the United States, adjusted for price changes - increased at an annual rate of 1.5% in the third quarter of 2015, according to the “advance” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). In the second quarter, real GDP increased 3.9%.

The BEA report shows that U.S. GDP has been on a roller-coaster ride this year, with the first quarter in a dive, followed by a steep climb in the second quarter, leading to another slide. Business aviation does well when the U.S. GDP is above the 3.0% growth mark.

The really ugly GDP report for the first quarter (.6%) was likely the result of mostly one-off events, with a severe winter and West Coast port disruptions combined to stall the economy. When the snow melted and the West Coast ports resumed full operations, growth jumped to 3.9% in the second quarter. This was followed by a summer slow-down and the advance estimate of 1.5% GDP growth. Business aviation could certainly use another rise in the fourth quarter GDP above the 3.0% mark to close out 2015 on a high note.