Business jets continue to drive market as other segments stay flat: GAMA

Strong production of new business jets continues to drive growth in the general aviation market, with double-digit gains in deliveries and billions of dollars in new aircraft billings through the first nine months of 2025, according to the latest shipment and billing figures from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). 

GAMA’s third quarter 2025 report shows business jet deliveries climbing 10.6% year on year, from 501 aircraft in the first nine months of 2024 to 554 so far in 2025. That increase came even as overall fixed-wing shipments remained mostly flat, rising 1.5% to 2,201 airplanes. 

The total value of airplane deliveries reached $19.4 billion through the end of September 2025, up 13.2% compared with the same period a year earlier. By contrast, piston aircraft shipments edged up by just five units to 1,238, while turboprop deliveries declined 6% to 409. Helicopter volumes also slipped in both piston and turbine categories, although the value of civil-commercial helicopter deliveries rose to $3.1 billion.  

Demand holding

Taken together, the figures confirm what many in the business aviation industry have been seeing all year: the post-pandemic surge in business aviation has cooled from its peak, but demand for jets remains structurally higher than before 2020. Flight activity for business aircraft is still running well above 2019 levels, and user numbers have not reverted to pre-Covid norms. 

Manufacturers continue to work through substantial order backlogs. A recent market brief from Global Jet Capital estimated OEM backlogs at more than $55 billion in the second quarter of 2025, up 8.4% year on year. That level reflects a healthy balance between new orders and deliveries, with manufacturers booking aircraft at roughly the same rate they are producing them, a sign of stable, sustained demand. Gulfstream, for example, has reported strong order momentum and plans to raise output through the decade on the strength of demand in its core US market. 

The pre-owned market, which experienced white-hot activity during the pandemic, has shifted into a more orderly but still busy phase. Data from JetNet and other analysts show that business jet transactions in the first half of 2025 remained strong, with total deals comfortably above long-term averages even as inventory slowly rebuilt from record lows. Buyers have more choice than in 2021-2022, but high-quality, late-model aircraft continue to sell well, and prices, while down from the pandemic peak, remain historically elevated.  

Outlook steady into 2026

This mix of strong new-jet deliveries, healthy resale activity and rising flight hours points to a market that is no longer in crisis-driven spike territory but has reset to a higher baseline. Charter and fractional operators report continued strength as many first-time private flyers from the pandemic era have opted to stay in the market, often moving up from hourly charter and into jet cards, fractional shares, or whole-aircraft ownership. 

Still, business aviation is closely tied to corporate profits and the broader health of financial markets, and any sharp reversal in equity prices or credit conditions could pressure discretionary flying and new aircraft orders. For now, though, GAMA’s latest report suggests that 2025 is shaping up as another strong year for business jet sales, and 2026 is looking to be a strong year as well, as 100% bonus depreciation tax treatment in the US helps many buyers substantially lower their tax liability. 

GAMA plans to release full year-end 2025 shipment and billing figures on February 18, 2026, at its State of the Industry press conference in Washington, D.C.  

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