Richard Koe & Nick Koscinski · WINGX Research · 5 min read
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The full JETNET Market Monitor is built to answer that question — not just tell you the headline, but show you the structure underneath it.
Macro & Wealth
Global GDP growth held at 3.4% in 2025 with the 2026 forecast revised down to 3.1%, reflecting trade tensions and the US-Israel-Iran conflict. UHNWI population reached a record 684,000+, US corporate profits hit all-time highs in Q1 2026 at $3.9 trillion, and equity markets are showing tentative recovery — though remain highly volatile following the Strait of Hormuz closure.
Bizjet Activity
Global business jet departures totalled 3.95 million on an April 2026 TTM basis, up 4.9%. Latin America (+9.8%) and Africa (+13.0%) led regional growth, while the Middle East contracted 17.1% YTD following the February conflict outbreak.
New Deliveries
Global bizjet deliveries totalled 769 on an April 2026 TTM basis, down 1.5% from the prior period and pulling back from the 818 units delivered in full-year 2025. OEM order books remain at decade-highs, with the combined backlog of the four major OEMs reaching $58.2bn in Q1 2026.
Pre-Owned Market
The pre-owned market has seen roughly 1,800 aircraft monthly for sale against nearly 2,800 transactions on a TTM basis. The TTM transaction trend rose above 15% in December 2025, before softening to just +2% in April 2026 as the Middle East conflict and macro uncertainty weighed on buyer confidence.
Emerging Markets
Regions outside North America and Europe accounted for almost 15% of global departures TTM, with Latin America and Africa outpacing mature markets by a wide margin. The Middle East saw a sharp reversal post-conflict, with fuel uplift running more than 40% below pre-conflict norms through Week 15 2026, with tentative signs of recovery in recent weeks.
The full report runs to 67 pages. These four findings are the ones that tend to shift how professionals read the market — not because the numbers are surprising, but because of what they suggest when you put them together.
Finding 01 — Flight activity is strong and broad-based — but the Middle East is still feeling the impacts of the conflict.
Activity data across operator types and cabin classes shows genuine momentum. Fractional Ownership is one of the standout performers, expanding 10.0% on a TTM basis, 11.6% YTD, and 13.0% in April alone — one of the most consistent outperformers across all three timeframes. Medium Jets have been the standout cabin class so far in 2026, up 7.0% vs YTD 2025, driven by transcontinental capability and strong fractional fleet deployment.
The macro foundation underneath business aviation demand has rarely looked stronger on paper. US corporate profits hit their highest level on record in Q1 2026 at $3.9 trillion, with quarterly year-over-year growth exceeding 15%. The UHNWI population is projected to grow at a 5.5% CAGR through 2028. M&A activity rebounded sharply in 2025 with deal value reaching $4 trillion, and the full-year 2026 estimate of $4.7 trillion would represent the strongest M&A year since the 2021 peak.
794 bizjets were delivered globally in 2025. OEM backlogs across the top four manufacturers hit a combined record of $54.6 billion, up 10.8% YOY. Book-to-bill ratios above 1.0x at Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Embraer mean orders are outpacing deliveries. Pre-owned transactions rebounded 11.7% to 2,813 deals — approaching the pre-pandemic norm of ~2,700–2,800 annually.
The pre-owned transaction trend rose above 15% year over year in December 2025, before compressing to just +2% in April 2026. The Apr-26 TTM total of 2,771 pre-owned transactions represents 2.2% growth — a sharp deceleration from the +16.8% full-year 2025 growth rate. Average days on market reached 98 days, up 11.3% versus the prior TTM period. Pre-owned asking prices have continued their gradual correction into 2026, with Large Jets now just 11% above 2019 levels.
Regions outside North America and Europe accounted for almost 15% of global departures on a TTM basis, with Latin America and Africa outpacing mature markets by a wide margin. The Middle East saw fuel uplift running more than 40% below pre-conflict norms through Week 15 2026, though Week 20 briefly exceeded the pre-conflict baseline before Week 21 pulled back again. The global installed business jet fleet has grown from 11,000 aircraft in 2001 to roughly 25,500 as of April 2026 — a 3.4% compound annual growth rate sustained across 25 years of economic cycles.
The conflict that broke out on 28 February produced an immediate and severe suppression of Middle East business aviation activity, with fuel uplift holding more than 40% below pre-conflict norms. Week 20 marked the first week to briefly exceed the pre-conflict baseline — but Week 21 pulled back, confirming the market has not yet normalized.
JETNET WEBINAR SERIES · May 14, 2026
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These four findings are a starting point. The full report covers what each of the trends means for aircraft that operators are planning to buy or sell, and what the regional breakdown of where business aviation is growing and where it is contracting tells you about market positioning heading into H2 2026.
Built for people who work with aircraft data every day.
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Download the Full 67-page Market Monitor
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