Preowned Business Jet Market Split in 2026: Strong Demand at Top End, Buyer Leverage Below

Specialists at Duncan Aviation's Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions team describe the 2026 preowned business jet market as split into two distinct tracks. At the upper end, Tim Barber, EMEA Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions, said demand for late-model, large-cabin aircraft is outpacing supply, calling the segment "unbelievably busy, with far more buyers than available aircraft." The Gulfstream G700 was cited as a prominent example, with the limited number of aircraft available commanding significant premiums. Supply is also described as extremely tight for the Gulfstream G650, Bombardier Challenger 3500, Cessna Citation Longitude, Embraer Praetor 500, and Dassault Falcon models.

Farther down the market, conditions were described as nearly reversed, with inventory more plentiful, buyer demand softer, and prices generally static or declining. Buyers in this segment are showing a preference for midsize and larger aircraft over smaller-cabin options, with newer, larger, longer-range jets attracting notable premiums. Douglas Roth, Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions, noted demand spanning late-model Pilatus PC-12s through midsize and large, long-range business jets, adding that strong demand is keeping selling prices in line with previous transactions even though it has not pushed prices materially higher.

Ann Pollard, Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions, said aircraft pedigree — including maintenance history, configuration, and overall condition — continues to influence buyer interest and value retention across all market segments. The team also cautioned that advertised asking prices do not always reflect actual transaction prices, and that aircraft not publicly listed can represent a significant portion of available supply. During a prior search for a Bombardier Global 6000, Duncan Aviation's team identified 33 potential aircraft for a client at a time when only nine were openly listed.

The split described by Duncan Aviation reflects how preowned markets absorb pressure from the new-aircraft order book: with manufacturer backlogs stretching for years, buyers unwilling to wait for factory delivery slots are turning to the secondary market, concentrating demand on the newest, largest-cabin used aircraft and intensifying competition at the top of the market.

That dynamic also shows how valuation in this segment increasingly depends on factors beyond list price. Parts availability and maintenance support are described as emerging as significant factors in valuation, with supply chain difficulties deterring buyers from older aircraft that may require hard-to-source parts or engine work — long lead times for components, engine shop visits, and rental engines add cost and uncertainty that widen the gap between top-end and lower-tier aircraft values.

The team's point about off-market inventory — 33 potential aircraft identified against nine openly listed in one Global 6000 search — suggests published listings understate true supply, meaning buyers and brokers relying only on visible inventory may be misjudging how tight or loose a given model's market actually is. Whether that gap between listed and actual supply narrows or widens as backlog-driven preowned demand persists is the detail worth tracking next.