According to Global Jet Capital, the quarter showed strong demand for business aviation, reflected in increasing aircraft departures, OEM backlog and stable pre-owned availability. Transaction levels declined year over year in Q1 as a result of supply chain constraints and comparison with a strong Q1 2025. Delays in data reporting have also impacted transaction levels. The business jet market is expected to remain resilient throughout the remainder of 2026.

Q1 2026 Highlights

• In Q1 2026, the global economy remained resilient with steady GDP growth of 2.7% despite the conflict in the Middle East.

• Business jet departures experienced broad-based growth in Q1, rising 3.8% year over year.

• OEM backlogs rose 19.3% year over year in Q1 2026, reaching $57.1 billion for the four OEMs that reported Q1 results.

• Transaction activity was softer in Q1, largely reflecting timing-related delays in data reporting.

• Pre-owned aircraft available for sale as a percentage of the total installed base was lower in Q1 2026 than Q1 2025, declining to 6.7% from 7.2%.

• In Q1 2026, bluebook values increased 1.1%, reflecting modest industry-wide appreciation on a year-over-year basis, although there was variance across segments and models.

Global Economy

Following a period of stabilization in late 2025, the global economy was resilient during Q1 2026 despite geopolitical developments in the Middle East. While Brent Crude oil prices rose 106.5% and the U.S. Volatility Index (VIX) increased 68.9% between the close of Q4 2025 and the end of Q1 2026, the broader economic foundation remained firm.

Despite certain regional complexities, the global economy remained on steady footing, with global GDP demonstrating a year-over-year growth rate of 2.7%.

Going forward, analysts expect the global economy to remain resilient so long as there is no material change in the status of the Middle East conflict or its impact on energy markets. While businesses and consumers continue to monitor oil transit and inflation related to energy prices, economists anticipate that growth will remain consistent with long-term projections, despite slight downward revisions since the beginning of the year. For example, the IMF’s April 2026 World Economic Outlook report projects a global GDP expansion of 3.1% for the calendar year, a decline of 0.2 percentage points since their January 2026 forecast.

With steady economic growth and the wealth creation that accompanies it, the business jet market should be well supported in 2026.

Transactions ($ Volume)

Based on available data, Q1 2026 transaction dollar volume decreased by 27.3% compared to the same period in 2025. This downturn follows an active end to 2025, when Q4 transaction dollar volume increased by 19.3% year over year.

This decline reflects real trends in the market, including continued supply chain and labor constraints. However, analysis of other data sources, including OEM reports and our own field intelligence at Global Jet Capital, indicates that a significant proportion of the decline may be attributable to delays in official data reporting. As additional transactions are reported, we expect Q1 2026 results to fall more in line with historical trends.

New deliveries as reported declined in Q1, with unit volume falling 34% and dollar volume decreasing 34.6%. As additional transactions are reported, however, we expect that final Q1 transaction data will show an increase in new deliveries. While isolated pockets of supply chain and labor constraints remain an issue, OEM commentary reflected continued progress towards resolution.

Pre-owned transactions followed a similar trend in Q1 2026, with unit volume down 27.2% and dollar volume down 19.7% year over year. In addition to data reporting delays, this decrease is partly attributable to a comparison with an unusually active Q1 2025. During that period, some buyers accelerated transactions to finalize deals ahead of anticipated U.S. tariff implementation, creating a peak that was followed by a dip in Q2 and a strong second half. In Q1 2026, there was no similar pressure to front-load transactions, resulting in market volume that was more consistent with Q1 2024 levels. Still, there were continued signs of strong buyer interest, suggesting transaction volume will normalize over the remainder of the year.