IADA pre-owned private jet dealers closed 1,630 deals in 2025, the fourth consecutive year of increased annual transactions.
Is the pre-owned private jet market ready to cool down in 2026 after a year of highs and lows in 2025?
The preowned private jet sales market is “resilient and active,” according to the latest polling with members of the International Aircraft Dealers Association.
IADA, as it is known, is a trade group of dealers and brokers of pre-owned private jets.
The group represents 7% of the world’s aircraft dealers who have each earned IADA accreditation,
In total, they are responsible for 40% of the world’s pre-owned sales.
That translates to over $6 billion in annual volume.
IADA published quarterly updates based on member sentiment.
The trade group said the outlook is positive.
Drivers are “strong year-end demand, favorable tax policy, improved financing conditions, and sustained confidence.”
The survey of members showed “market sentiment and activity strengthened in the fourth quarter to the highest levels recorded in 2025, capping another strong year for the preowned business aircraft sector.”
Bonus depreciation, lower interest rates, and tight inventory “underpinned a balanced market heading to 2026.”
The trade group’s chairman, John Odegard, who is co-founder of 5×5 Trading, said, “Despite early-year uncertainty, IADA members delivered strong results throughout 2025 and closed the year with solid momentum.”
He added, “Higher fourth-quarter activity reflected a healthy, disciplined market supported by bonus depreciation, improving interest rates and tight inventories, conditions that continue to favor experienced, professional dealers who can execute complex transactions.”
Looking ahead, Odegard said, “As we look ahead, our members remain confident in the core fundamentals of the business aviation marketplace.”
Key transaction highlights from the Q4 report included 1,630 closed aircraft deals, the fourth consecutive year of increased annual transactions.
That was up from 1,559 pre-owned private jet sales in 2023, 1,421 in 2023, and 1,399 in 2022.
Q4 2025 deals were also up.
There were 647 closed sales in Q4 2025.
That bests 562 in 2024, 553 in 2023, and 470 in 2022’s final quarter.
173 new acquisition agreements were reported in Q4 2025, up 33% year-over-year compared to Q4 2024.
Full-year 2025 acquisition agreements increased 9% versus 2024
Exclusive retainer agreements to sell aircraft declined 15% quarter-over-quarter and 11% year-over-year in Q4, reflecting tight inventory and selective seller behavior
807 exclusive sell-side retainers signed in 2025, compared with 1,176 in 2024
Dealers also reported that fewer aircraft were discounted and fewer transactions failed in 2025 than at any time since 2022.
Over the past six months, IADA dealers completed aircraft sales transactions in 155 days.
That was 19% faster than the industry average of 192 days.
Respondents indicated that overall market conditions strengthened in Q4 2025.
They jumped to 3.72 on a 1–5 scale, up from 3.47 in Q3 2025 and 3.32 in Q4 2024.
Inventory of younger, in-demand aircraft tightened further during the quarter, particularly in late-model, program-enrolled super-mid and large-cabin jets.
Dealer willingness to inventory aircraft increased modestly.
The group called it “another indicator of market confidence.”
IADA stated:
‘The Fourth Quarter Market Report concludes that 2025 was another strong year for preowned business aircraft transactions, supported by favorable tax policy, resilient demand, and disciplined pricing. Strong OEM backlogs, improved financing conditions,s and sustained interest from both new and repeat buyers are expected to support continued market health in 2026.’
The survey also reflected a continued shift in market leverage toward sellers, registering one of the lowest buyer-driven readings in the past eight quarters.
Pricing and demand remained firm for late-model aircraft.
However, the expected softening in the turboprop and light jet segments “where buyers are more sensitive to interest rates and upcoming maintenance events.”
85% of respondents expect pricing to remain stable or decline slightly over the next six months.
Members of IADA also added their perspectives.
Global Jet Capital’s Mike Christie said, “Strong backlogs for new equipment are helping to support the strength of the overall market.”
He continued, “There have been a number of aircraft available for sale immediately after delivery in Q4 of 2025.”
Axiom Toy of Axiom Aviation said, “We are seeing a strong market on midsize and large corporate jets looking to close year-end deals.”
Jetcraft’s Colin Dunne said, “The market will calm down in Q1 2026,” adding, “There are plenty of buyers waiting for the end-of-year rush to be over so they can find better value in the market.”
Dunn continued, “Transaction numbers in 2025 across all jet categories will be greater than 202,4 which was greater than 2023.”
Swartz Aviation Group’s John Swartz said, “The turboprop and light jets are very much economically dependent.”
He added, “Until interest rates come down, these buyers won’t have the liquidity to go out and buy an airplane necessarily.”
Swartz noted, “The mid to large cabin airplane buyers are in a whole different class of liquidity and aren’t as economically dependent as the turboprop and light jet buyers are.”
Adolfo Nieto of Wulf Aviation noted, “The first half of 2025 was full of uncertainty, which cleared out with bonus depreciation reinstated. The second half has been very strong.”
JetAviva’s Emily Deaton said, “The pre-owned aircraft market remains robust as we conclude a strong Q4.”
However, she added, “As we move into 2026, a modest rebalancing is expected, but steady momentum should persist, driven by disciplined buyers and sellers.”
Perhaps the most interesting comment came from an attorney.
Gilchrist Aviation Law’s Kayla Grayson said, “Clients continue to find ways to make deals come together, even if the strategy looks different than in years past.”
Jetcraft’s Dunne summed it up by noting, “It’ll take a large economic shock to throw the market off balance. Wars, tariffs, and AI bubble fears didn’t succeed.”
(Editor’s note: Some sales data was omitted from an earlier version. It has now been included.)
Find the perfect solution for your private aviation needs
Save Time. Buy Confidently.
Receive an apples-to-apples comparison of programs that meet your needs from more than 500 jet card and fractional options covering 65 points of differentiation and over 40,000 data points.
