ACJ Survey: 85% of Asian Financiers and Brokers Expect Large Business Jet Demand to Rise by 2030

A global survey of financiers and brokers across Asia, commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ), found that 85% of respondents expect purchases of large business jets to increase between now and 2030, with 30% believing demand will increase dramatically.

Sixty percent of respondents expect demand for large and midsize business jets to grow faster than other business aviation categories through to 2030. Sixty-two percent estimate that 65–70% of new business jet spending between 2025 and 2034 will be concentrated on large and long-range aircraft. On upgrading, 56% of respondents say at least a quarter of the aircraft they are involved in selling or financing currently represent upgrades into larger categories, a figure they expect to climb to 89% by 2030.

On purchasing priorities, 45% of respondents say buyers place equal importance on increased range and larger cabin space, while 28% identify cabin comfort, passenger capacity and customisation as the most important considerations, and a further 27% view range and mission flexibility as the primary drivers. Respondents ranked charter revenue opportunities as the most important commercial factor influencing buyers, ahead of residual value and purchase price. On post-acquisition factors, 40% believe operating costs are the most underestimated element in the purchasing process, while 25% point to residual value.

Nearly two-thirds (67%) of respondents believe financing large business jets will become easier relative to smaller aircraft in the coming years, and 75% expect fleet modernisation through newer, more efficient aircraft to accelerate over the next five years. Chadi Saade, president of Airbus Corporate Jets, said the results reflect the increasingly strategic nature of purchasing decisions, adding that "buyers are increasingly looking for aircraft that deliver long-range capability, greater flexibility and a premium onboard experience, while also offering strong long-term economic performance."

The pattern here is one of a market segment where perception among financiers and brokers, rather than confirmed order books, is used as a forward indicator of demand. Surveys commissioned by an airframer naturally carry that framing, but the specific splits — on upgrade rates, spending concentration and purchasing drivers — describe how deal-makers expect capital to move within business aviation rather than simply whether it will grow.

In this segment, financing and residual value assumptions shape which aircraft categories brokers steer buyers toward, and the survey's emphasis on charter revenue as the top commercial factor suggests buyers are increasingly underwriting purchases against expected utilisation income rather than price or resale value alone. The finding that operating costs are seen as the most underestimated element also signals that post-purchase economics, not just acquisition terms, are becoming central to how financiers evaluate large-cabin deals.

Whether the expected shift toward easier financing for large jets materialises will depend on actual lending terms extended by financiers over the coming years, and whether the projected rise in upgrade transactions — from a quarter of deals now to an expected 89% by 2030 — shows up in delivery and resale data as the decade progresses.