CJI REPORT • BROKERS
Zen and the art of aircraft broking
Navigating a path from buyers’ ambition to closing a sale is fraught with difficulties. Four leading brokers share their misadventures (and some successes). Words: Rob Hodgetts
CJI REPORT • BROKERS
Zen and the art of aircraft broking
Navigating a path from buyers’ ambition to closing a sale is fraught with difficulties. Four leading brokers share their misadventures (and some successes). Words: Rob Hodgetts
“You’re managing the business aspect of the deal, but you’re also managing egos.”
Mike Moore, Guardian Jet
THE CLIENT was a dentist in Houston who had his eyes on a $25,000 pre-owned Piper Arrow.
Jay Mesinger was a green 21-year-old who had fallen into a role as an aircraft broker via his beer business.
The deal was done that day with a “couple of quick rides around the patch”, a handshake and a “back of the napkin” contract.
More than 50 years on from that first transaction, Mesinger is still buying and selling aircraft as CEO and president of Mesinger Jet Sales.
The contracts and the sums have grown, along with the complexity of regulations and bureaucracy. “Now, when purchase prices are $50m, we tend to take a little bit more time,” Mesinger tells us. “You don’t just shake a hand, kick the tyre, get in the plane and go. It’s gone from writing up a transaction on the back of a napkin to having very sophisticated contracts negotiated by very sophisticated aviation transaction attorneys and tax planners.”
He laughs when he hears people want to get into the industry “because it looks sexy”. Messinger continues: “It’s not that sexy. It’s not easy and it’s very complicated.”
What hasn’t particularly changed is dealing with people. For Mesinger, the essence of being a good aircraft broker is integrity, trust and transparency. “Or you just don’t stay in it,” he says.
On that first deal he made sure to speak slowly, listen carefully and explain how the process worked. “I gave him realistic numbers on what it was going cost to operate,” he adds. “Often in those days you put in 30 gallons of fuel, a little oil and you did an annual inspection, but I made sure he understood that. And then I took the time after the sale to follow up.
“Those same attributes, details and care are only more important today when you’re talking about a $50m airplane.”
Mike Moore, sales director, Florida at Guardian Jet likens being an aircraft broker to being a quarterback in American Football. The analogy is particularly apt when you need to switch tactics in a hurry, like a quarterback at the line of scrimmage calling an “audible” to change the play.
“You walk up the line, look at the defence and you realise the play is not going to work. You yell out another play, an audible, and everything changes,” he says.
“So you need to be fluid and you need to manage everybody’s expectations. It always amazes me how people are buying assets for $30m but at some point, the deal could go sideways over something that costs $10,000.
“That would be like me buying a car but killing the deal because the guy won’t put napkins in my glove compartment.”
For Moore, a good broker needs solid aircraft knowledge and to have a strong grasp of the market and the value of aircraft they are buying or selling. They need to be a good project manager to take a transaction from the letter of intent (LOI) through to closing and they need to understand the “art of the deal”.
“You’re managing the business aspect of the deal, but you’re also managing egos,” he says. “You’re managing all the people on both sides of the deal.”
To coin a phrase, a successful transaction needs a willing buyer and a willing seller. But with the complexities of aircraft and sophisticated modern contracts, that willingness can be tested any number of times along the way.
“There’s usually something that’s about to fail in every transaction, at different places along the line,” says Mesinger.
Understanding what makes people tick and keeping “cool nerves” is key, according to Matt Rosanvallon, sales and acquisition director at Freestream.
“People flare up for different reasons,” he says. “I don’t want to say we’re psychologists, but yes, a little bit. It’s being a good filter in the middle. And sometimes it’s to bring back people to the bigger picture as to what we’re trying to accomplish. We’re all working towards a common goal. It’s about trying to get them to look through the same lens.”
“You’re managing the business aspect of the deal, but you’re also managing egos.”
Mike Moore, Guardian Jet
THE CLIENT was a dentist in Houston who had his eyes on a $25,000 pre-owned Piper Arrow.
Jay Mesinger was a green 21-year-old who had fallen into a role as an aircraft broker via his beer business.
The deal was done that day with a “couple of quick rides around the patch”, a handshake and a “back of the napkin” contract.
More than 50 years on from that first transaction, Mesinger is still buying and selling aircraft as CEO and president of Mesinger Jet Sales.
The contracts and the sums have grown, along with the complexity of regulations and bureaucracy. “Now, when purchase prices are $50m, we tend to take a little bit more time,” Mesinger tells us. “You don’t just shake a hand, kick the tyre, get in the plane and go. It’s gone from writing up a transaction on the back of a napkin to having very sophisticated contracts negotiated by very sophisticated aviation transaction attorneys and tax planners.”
He laughs when he hears people want to get into the industry “because it looks sexy”. Messinger continues: “It’s not that sexy. It’s not easy and it’s very complicated.”
What hasn’t particularly changed is dealing with people. For Mesinger, the essence of being a good aircraft broker is integrity, trust and transparency. “Or you just don’t stay in it,” he says.
On that first deal he made sure to speak slowly, listen carefully and explain how the process worked. “I gave him realistic numbers on what it was going cost to operate,” he adds. “Often in those days you put in 30 gallons of fuel, a little oil and you did an annual inspection, but I made sure he understood that. And then I took the time after the sale to follow up.
“Those same attributes, details and care are only more important today when you’re talking about a $50m airplane.”
Mike Moore, sales director, Florida at Guardian Jet likens being an aircraft broker to being a quarterback in American Football. The analogy is particularly apt when you need to switch tactics in a hurry, like a quarterback at the line of scrimmage calling an “audible” to change the play.
“You walk up the line, look at the defence and you realise the play is not going to work. You yell out another play, an audible, and everything changes,” he says.
“So you need to be fluid and you need to manage everybody’s expectations. It always amazes me how people are buying assets for $30m but at some point, the deal could go sideways over something that costs $10,000.
“That would be like me buying a car but killing the deal because the guy won’t put napkins in my glove compartment.”
For Moore, a good broker needs solid aircraft knowledge and to have a strong grasp of the market and the value of aircraft they are buying or selling. They need to be a good project manager to take a transaction from the letter of intent (LOI) through to closing and they need to understand the “art of the deal”.
“You’re managing the business aspect of the deal, but you’re also managing egos,” he says. “You’re managing all the people on both sides of the deal.”
To coin a phrase, a successful transaction needs a willing buyer and a willing seller. But with the complexities of aircraft and sophisticated modern contracts, that willingness can be tested any number of times along the way.
“There’s usually something that’s about to fail in every transaction, at different places along the line,” says Mesinger.
Understanding what makes people tick and keeping “cool nerves” is key, according to Matt Rosanvallon, sales and acquisition director at Freestream.
“People flare up for different reasons,” he says. “I don’t want to say we’re psychologists, but yes, a little bit. It’s being a good filter in the middle. And sometimes it’s to bring back people to the bigger picture as to what we’re trying to accomplish. We’re all working towards a common goal. It’s about trying to get them to look through the same lens.”
Jay Mesinger of Mesinger Jet Sales.
Jay Mesinger of Mesinger Jet Sales.
Points of failure
The pitfalls lurk at every stage of the deal, starting with finding a client and then getting them to a point where they might make an offer.
Oliver Stone, MD, Colibri Aircraft uses an oil business analogy. “We spend a lot of time drilling dry holes,” he says.
Mesinger adds: “You could lose a person at this stage because their expectation of what it might cost, for instance, is very different than what they’re beginning to realise it would cost. Then it’s understanding the valuation, not overpaying, not offering less, trying to be opportunistic.”
Weighing up several offers also requires some broker nous. One party might be offering $10m while another is at $9.9m, but you know the broker and the aviation attorney for the second party are “rock solid” and have “pedigree”, says Moore.
“I might tell my client, look, the chances of this deal going smoothly and to script are very good,” he adds. “This guy over here offering another $100K has also got LOIs on two other airplanes. He could pull the carpet out from underneath us in the next two or three weeks by which time the other guy’s gone. Or he could just make everybody’s lives very difficult.”
LOI to APA
Moving the transaction from the LOI to both parties signing the aircraft purchase agreement (APA) is where most deals can fall apart, according to Rosanvallon.
“People start digging more and more into the maintenance and they get nervous,” he says. “Maintenance bills have got much higher and that creates its own set of complications.”
He adds that aircraft which sell most efficiently tend to be those that are well-described in the first place, with condition and maintenance history clearly laid out, particularly if the market is leaning towards favouring buyers.
“Engine and overhaul schedules are a big one. Closing with a loaner [loan engine] on an aircraft is going to be complicated,” he says.
“You don’t want the APA [aircraft purchase agreement] negotiations to start taking a month and a half. You lock it in, everybody’s happy.”
It is at this point that the “real work” of a good broker kicks in, he reckons. That’s why it is crucial to have built up a wide network across the industry. “There are a lot of steps that go into this, whether it’s working with escrows, working with attorneys, working with maintenance facilities, with the broker themselves on the other side,” he says. “So when that 10-tonne hammer hits you on the head like in a cartoon, you can deal with it because you know people.”
Often there are leftfield issues which threaten to scupper the transaction. Moore explains how he once tried to persuade his seller to throw in some spare tyres, worth about $5,000, to sweeten the deal.
“My client was adamant he was already getting a good price for the airplane and said he wouldn’t give the buyer the tyres, he’d rather sell them on the open market,” says Moore. “It occurred to me I could buy the tyres and give them to the guy to keep the deal alive. The buyer said that if he wasn’t getting the tyres, he’d rather just go and buy an airplane from someone else. The deal went sideways over $5,000. But, you know, egos got involved.”
Rosanvallon cites squabbles over the price of jet fuel to move an aircraft or for a test flight. One side might say it should cost $3,600 an hour, others think it should be $4,700 for whatever reason.
“Then all of a sudden, you’re fighting over APA negotiations which are truly altered towards something that’s an hourly rate on something,” he adds.
“When you finish a transaction on a $15m-plus airplane, these numbers tend to become trivial. It’s a few $1,000 here and there, but it goes back to everybody needing some sort of win. Egos are usually the best reason why negotiations blow up.”
“Airplanes are emotional things.”
Oliver Stone, Colibri Aircraft
Thinking outside the box
The wording of the contract – dealing not only with regulatory and bureaucratic needs but also stating the specific delivery conditions of the aircraft, and the timing, location and scope of the pre-purchase inspection (PPI) – can be a major obstacle.
“If you can’t get to a place where a buyer and seller would sign that contract, you won’t have a transaction,” adds Mesinger. “It’s also important everybody stays in their swim lane. I’m not the attorney. Often the attorneys will get into loggerheads, and it takes a little extra work to get them together.”
Moore describes a time when his client, the seller, was trying to squeeze in one more trip before the contracted pre-buy slot. It was supposed to start on a Monday but at late notice the client announced he was flying back from a trip and wanted it to start on Tuesday.
The other side conceded but said the aircraft needed to be at the Hartford maintenance facility no later than 10am or they would default on the deal.
“Of course, my client doesn’t get back until midnight on Monday,” says Moore. The crew were obligated to do a one-and-a-half-hour test flight before the pre-buy but now couldn’t fit it in, given their schedule.
Then Moore and his team dreamed up a solution.
“Technically, there’s nothing in the agreement that says we need to complete the test flight before 10am,” he adds. “It says we need to arrive at the facility at 10am. So if we saddle up at 9.30am, we’ll be on the ground by 9.50am. We’ll meet the terms of deal.”
He adds: “You always have to think outside of the box.”
Buyer expectations
The final battleground which might have attorneys licking their lips but brokers tearing their hair out is the PPI. The pre-purchase inspection, paid for by the buyer, makes sure the aircraft is presented as airworthy with all equipment functioning to specification, as laid out in the APA.
The scope can range from a basic check to a test flight and intimate inspections of the engine and auxiliary power unit (APU) using a borescope. Any airworthiness defects are paid for by the seller, who naturally wants to limit the scope.
“Almost all of it is issues outside of the seller’s control,” says Stone. “It’s usually poor expectations from a buyer who thinks the aeroplane he’s going to buy is going to be the one 18-year-old aeroplane that has zero corrosion. And when it doesn’t have zero corrosion, he gets scared and walks away. It could be bad, or it could just be airplanes.
“Or it’s parts delays that create a seven-to-eight-month lead time issue. We fight this every day.”
Stone explains the psychological effect on buyers who are generally not from the airplane business. “Usually, they take a very objective barometer to the condition of an aircraft,” he says.
“You might have one windshield and one primary flight display screen go out, which together cost $400,000. They’re easily replaceable, it won’t have any effect whatsoever on resale value, but the buyer sees a really expensive PPI based upon a few defects and thinks the airplane is in bad condition.
And then they get nervous. And airplanes are emotional things. Once a lack of confidence sets in, it is now something to overcome.”
Stone adds: “It’s not a game of how do we confuse a guy enough to get him to sign the piece of paper.
“It’s how do we educate the guy enough to make sure he’s going to want to own an airplane for good and for bad for the next decade. Because the unhappiest people without fail are the people that aren’t educated when they get in.”
Interpretation is a huge aspect, explains Moore. He recalls a time when a buyer complained that some of the window shades were difficult to open and close on an aircraft he was selling.
It might seem like a purely cosmetic issue but according to the contract everything had to function properly. On this occasion, the cost of fixing the shades wasn’t worth picking a fight over as the delay in closing would be far more costly. Another deal nearly collapsed because the switch at the seat that controls the entertainment system was broken. As per the contract, Moore’s seller was obliged to make sure it worked but it was an obsolete part so refurbishing it was the only option, with a loan part in place for the closing.
“The buyer wanted to do a holdback of $100,000 for the switch, but the refurb was only going to be about $10,000,” says Moore. He ended up working it out but says it “got down to the 11th hour”.
Rosanvallon says cosmetics tend to be the “craziest things”. He recalls the time a buyer thought the seat belt buckles were gold-plated, but they were in fact silver-plated and arguments over changing them raged on. On another occasion, a prospective buyer wanted to redo the interior of an aircraft to make the cup holders fit Fiji water bottles. Then there was the client who was refusing to sign the technical acceptance because the DVD player was not working. “Like, do people still use DVDs? Are you going to bring your collection of DVDs on board? And then it costs you $15,000 bucks to replace a DVD player,” he says.
Mesinger says this scenario is the classic case of a buyer “trying to squeeze an ounce of better pricing” out of the seller or manufacturing a reason to walk away. “That’s when we sit down and try to figure something out so we can continue with the purchase,” he says. “Sometimes it is a case of: ‘Is this something we can overcome when we remarket the airplane sometime in the future?’. Hopefully cooler heads prevail.”
On the flip side, he says that sometimes the circumstances of a discrepancy are “bigger than what we want to accept in ownership”. It might be significant corrosion which perhaps creates a ‘non-standard reoccurring inspection’ or which might put a “significant scar” in the logbook. Then, his best advice to clients might be to walk away.
Sometimes being in the middle of posturing from both sides is like “showing up to a gunfight with a knife”, laughs Moore.
“It’s the principle of the deal, right?” he adds. “It often has nothing to do with money. There’s a lot of sport negotiators out there in the world. It’s not the price. It’s about this person winning the deal.”
Looking at it philosophically, he concedes: “Whether you lose a deal or win a deal, feedback is a gift.”
Dealing with the capricious nature of being a broker is like teetering along a knife-edge ridge towards a misty summit. Patience, nerve and “not waiting for things to unravel” are part of a good broker’s armoury, says Rosanvallon. Working independently and often remotely, as many brokers do, means that sometimes, you can be “your own worst enemy”, he adds.
“If something is hitting the fan, you think of 15,000 different possible scenarios,” says Rosanvallon. “Working at home, you can get deeper into this mental box of overthinking things.
“It’s additional stress, but it also provides a lot of zen, in my opinion.”
He says he regularly gets 18,000 steps a day just from pacing around his house on the phone, “just walking and talking” and driving his wife “crazy”.
For Rosanvallon, “part of the prize” is meeting and gaining insights from successful entrepreneurs, business titans and American dynasties.
“What’s fun about our world is every deal is a bit different based on the clients,” he says. “Their stories are always new and fresh and fun. And we get to work with some of the most sophisticated people in the world, which is very fun.”
Of course, people being people, no one is infallible. Mesinger admits to a time when he brought unnecessary stress on himself.
He was in his office in Houston, Texas with a family who had come to buy a pre-owned Piper. The aircraft Mesinger was showing them was flying in from San Antonio, about an hour away. While they were waiting, he told them all about the plane, mentioning it had a green leather interior. He quickly judged they were not exactly enamoured by this look and spent the rest of the time extolling the virtues of green leather; about how appealing it is and how it will be great for resale when the time comes.
“I talked it up as if it was the only colour in the world,” he says. When the aircraft parked on the ramp, they walked outside and Mesinger strode up and opened the airstair door.
He peered inside, closed the door again and turned around to face them.
“Blue is good too,” he said.
How they started in sales
From distributing beer to selling business jets, leading brokers recall how they joined the brokerage industry
‘You know about planes. Go and run that business’
Jay Mesinger, CEO and president, Mesinger Jet Sales
I learned how to fly in high school and carried on in college. After that, I went to work for my godfather in the beer business in Houston. One Friday he came to my cubby [office cubicle] and said: ‘I want to buy an airplane, and you know all there is about airplanes. Come with me, let’s go buy a plane’.
We went to the Piper dealership in Houston. They were going out of business. So we bought the dealership instead of an airplane. And then he said to me: ‘You know about planes. Go over there and run that business.’ That was 52 years ago.
‘Airplane brokers make 2% on every deal’
Oliver Stone, MD, Colibri Aircraft
A long time ago, I wanted to be an airline pilot. And then I watched a TV show that talked about the life of a long-haul pilot with Northwest Airlines. It said in their 35-year career, they’re gone from home for like 15 years. I thought that didn’t sound very good, but I still really loved airplanes. A friend of mine told me this absolutely horrible lie. He said airplane brokers make 2% on every deal they do. And at the age of 19 or 20, I thought: Wow, 2% at $20m, I could do well out of that.
Let me tell you: they don’t make 2% and it’s a brutally hard business. But anyways, that was it. I knocked on a lot of doors. I worked for free for a while and then eventually, I didn’t have to work for free anymore.
‘I wish I had made the move sooner’
Matt Rosanvallon, sales and acquisition director, Freestream
I grew up in Paris, France, and moved to New York in the mid-1990s when my father relocated for Dassault. I began my career in New York City commercial real estate, where I spent nearly a decade. I had always wanted to enter the aviation industry, but I was initially hesitant because I felt I was following in my father’s shadow. Eventually, I learned to embrace that connection and make it my own. Looking back, I sometimes wish I had made the move sooner.
Guardian Jet gave me my first opportunity in aircraft sales and provided an invaluable crash course in the industry. I spent three years there before joining Freestream, where I have now been for six. It has been an amazing experience. I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many great people and learn from some of the best in the business. It has been a bit like drinking from a fire hose – and in many ways, it still is, as there is always something new to learn in a constantly evolving industry.
‘Always do what’s right for clients’
Mike Moore, sales director, Florida, Guardian Jet
I’ve been passionate about aviation for as long as I can remember. My path into business aviation sales really took shape after graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. With a background in both aeronautical studies and aviation business administration, I was drawn to the intersection of aviation, business, and, most importantly, people.
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work across several areas of private aviation, including charter, aircraft management and sales. Those experiences gave me a broad understanding of the industry and taught me that successful aviation transactions are ultimately built on relationships and trust.
Over the past 30-plus years, I’ve been fortunate to hold sales and leadership roles with companies including PrivatAir, Infinity Aviation Group, Meridian Air Charter and Essex Aviation. Each experience expanded my knowledge of the business and reinforced a philosophy I still follow today: understand what the client is really trying to accomplish, give them straightforward advice and always do what’s right for them.
That philosophy ultimately led me to Guardian Jet, where I now help clients navigate aircraft sales and acquisitions with the data, expertise and transparency needed to make confident decisions.
What I wish I had known …
Courtesy of the CJI Time Machine, prominent brokers travel back over the decades to offer their younger selves (free) advice
‘Jump in and begin’
Jay Mesinger, CEO and president, Mesinger Jet Sales
If you enjoy people and you pride yourself on accurate, smart discussions with a transparent basis, this industry is for you. One must be able to put information on the client’s lap and be able to live with the information way into the future. If you are swayed by what seems like quick bucks and easy work, this will not be the industry that will support you for many years into the future. However, if you can rise to the top of a competitive circumstance by employing the skills I mentioned above, success will be all around you. Jump in and begin.
‘Don’t think that money comes easily’
Oliver Stone, MD, Colibri Aircraft
This business isn’t glamorous and, like any sales business, it is a business that entails a lot of failure. Don’t get into it thinking that money comes easily. It’s never easy. But this business gives you a working life that few people can imagine. If you value only the pay check, but not the other intangibles about this career, don’t get into this industry – there are many other higher paying careers.
But if you value seeing the world, meeting interesting people and living experiences few can imagine, albeit with a lower pay check than is possible in other businesses, then you’ll get tremendous satisfaction from it. But the intangibles have to be worth it for you as sometimes they will be far more valuable than the earnings can be.
‘Learn patience sooner’
Matt Rosanvallon, sales and acquisition director, Freestream
If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to learn patience sooner. I always wanted things to move faster – transactions, decisions, opportunities, even my own professional growth. Over time, I realised that not everything is within your control. Trying to force outcomes often created unnecessary stress. Some of the best decisions are made with a clear mind and measured approach. In aviation brokerage, as in life, emotions can run high, but keeping a cool head and maintaining perspective almost always leads to better results. Patience is not about waiting passively – it’s about trusting the process, focusing on what you can control and understanding that the right opportunities/solutions often come to those who are prepared when the timing is also right.
“Lose or win a deal, feedback is a gift.”
‘Your reputation is the number one thing you should protect’
Mike Moore, sales director, Florida, Guardian Jet
Spend time learning as much as you possibly can, even things you don’t think pertain to you. Twenty years ago, I had so much access to maintenance stuff I could have learned in real time. Looking back, I should have spent more time listening to the maintenance guys or listening to the pilots in flight ops. Suck it all in. In hindsight I would also have finished my ratings; as a commercial pilot I probably would have been more marketable.
My next thing is I took years of Spanish in school but 30 years later I wish I spoke Spanish, living in the Florida market. Being multilingual will absolutely be of benefit to you. In this industry your reputation is the number one thing you should protect. Be honest, gain as much knowledge as you possibly can and always increase your skillset. The day you think you’ve learned enough is the day you turn into a dinosaur.
NORTH AMERICA
Trump Bump gains
The North American market powered more than 70% of global activity. Flights climbed by more than 5% compared with the previous year. Growth reflected President Trump’s re-election and followed 18 months of stagnant demand since the post-Covid spike in activity in 2022 and 2023. The tariff-induced shock to the economy in spring 2025 barely dented flight demand in North America and in the fourth quarter, year-on-year (YoY) trends were closer to 10%. Florida consolidated its position as the North American hub for flights, with 12% of business jet departures, up by 5% compared with 2024 and up nearly 50% on 2019. California, once the busiest US state pre-Covid, trailed Texas and saw some erosion in flight activity towards the end of 2025.
LATIN AMERICA
Charter up +10%
Business jet flight activity was up by 12% and represents almost 10% of global activity, with more than 8,700 tails active in the region at some point last year. The busiest operator type was private flight departments – accounting for almost 30% of flight hours, which was a rise of 8% on the previous year. Both corporate flight departments, responsible for 20% of activity, and aircraft management, claiming 20% of activity, saw year-on-year declines. Charter operations in Latin America were up by over 10% and fractional operators, making up only 6% of activity, accounted for nearly 20% of flights.
EUROPE
Super mids buck the trend
Business jet demand saw weak growth in 2025, up just 1.3% compared with the previous year and barely 3% above 2019 levels contributing one tenth of the global traffic total. The regional distribution of flight activity trends is clear with declines in Germany and Austria, modest upticks in the leading UK and France markets, stagnation in Eastern Europe and Western-Russia and strong demand in the Mediterranean regions. Super mid and ultra-long-range jet activity bucked the trends. Both segments saw over 6% growth in sectors last year.
AFRICA
Barely 1% of all bizav flights
Africa accounted for barely 1% of global business jet flights, but showed strong growth, up by 15% compared with 2024. Despite the relatively small contribution to global activity, more than 1,400 operators were active in the region during the year, across 547 regional airports. South Africa, with 20% of regional activity, was the standout performer with departures up by almost 50%. This offset declines in bizjet activity in Nigeria and Morocco. Other African markets with conspicuous growth in business jet activity last year included Egypt, Kenya and Angola. Nearly one third (31%) of total flight activity in Africa last year was operated by aircraft management companies.
MIDDLE EAST
Favours large aircraft
The Middle East accounted for 2.7% of global business jet activity in 2025 but continues to show robust growth with departures up by 8% compared with 2024. Investment in infrastructure, deregulation and tourist industries appears to be offsetting the headwinds from long-running conflicts and security concerns. The market was characterised by demand for large aircraft. Heavy jets and ultra-long-range jets operating 60% of departures, both achieved double digit increases compared with 2024. Light jet and super light jet segments claimed less than 10% of activity and both segments saw a drop in activity compared with the previous year.
ASIA
Robust corporate growth
Across Asia, excluding the Middle East, WINGX tracked more than 107,000 business jet departures last year from 1,643 operators at more than 1,000 airports. Growth in business jet activity was 3.7%, with significant decline in midsize jet activity, contrasting with strong growth in super light sectors, which were up by 21%. Almost 50% of total flight hours across the region were operated by ultra long-range jets, up by 7% compared with the previous year. The busiest operator type was aircraft management. But activity was down year-on-year compared with corporate flight departments, which had relatively robust growth of more than 3% last year.
