Pre-Owned Aircraft Inventory Remains Below 2025 Levels

Pre-owned aircraft inventory levels remained significantly lower in August 2026 compared to the previous year, driven by a 37.73 percent year-over-year drop in available used large jets.

In a press release issued on September 4, 2026, Sandhills Global published its August aviation market reports. The data indicates a continued tightening of supply in the pre-owned aircraft market compared to 2025, while asking prices displayed mixed trends across different aircraft categories.

Jet and turboprop market dynamics

According to the Sandhills Global report, the global used jet aircraft inventory increased by 1.09 percent month-over-month in August 2026. This slight monthly gain did not offset the broader trend, as total jet inventory fell 22.32 percent year-over-year. Global asking prices for used jets decreased by 0.88 percent from July 2026 and dropped 1.85 percent compared to August 2025.

The global used turboprop aircraft market exhibited a similar pattern. Inventory rose 4.04 percent month-over-month but remained 9.92 percent below August 2025 levels. Asking values for used turboprops decreased 2.35 percent month-over-month and saw a marginal 0.14 percent decline year-over-year.

Piston aircraft and Helicopters trends

In the United States and Canada, the used piston-single aircraft inventory rose 2.8 percent month-over-month in August 2026. Similar to the turbine markets, this category experienced an 11.75 percent year-over-year decrease. Asking values for used piston-single aircraft decreased 0.93 percent month-over-month and 1.6 percent year-over-year.

The global market for used Robinson piston helicopters saw inventory increase by 1.19 percent month-over-month, while year-over-year inventory decreased by 10.53 percent. Asking values for these helicopters dropped 9.33 percent from July 2026 but recorded a 0.79 percent increase compared to August 2025.

AirPro News analysis

We observe a consistent pattern of constrained supply across all tracked pre-owned aviation sectors when comparing 2026 to 2025. The August 2026 data aligns closely with the July 2026 figures previously reported by Sandhills Global, where large jets posted a 39.6 percent year-over-year inventory decrease. The modest month-over-month inventory gains across jets, turboprops, and piston aircraft suggest the rate of inventory depletion may be stabilizing. The corresponding softening in asking prices across most categories indicates that buyers are not currently willing to pay a premium despite the lower year-over-year supply.

Sources: Sandhills Global via PR Newswire