Jetfleet Data
Intentions to TransactionsNo. 6 · Q3 2026
Intentions to Transactions · Business jetsData to 30 September 2026
Large cabin buyers did what they said, light jet buyers did not
Two in five owners who told us in March they would buy within a year have now bought. Large cabin intentions converted fastest, while light jet conversion fell for a third survey wave in a row
1Where intentions converted
We matched every owner in the March 2026 survey wave who said they expected to buy an aircraft within twelve months to deliveries, registry changes and completed sales through 30 September. Six months into the window, 318 of 800 have a matching transaction, the highest six month conversion since the panel was first matched in 2022.1
| Segment | Intending | Transacted | Conversion | Year ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large cabin | 230 | 120 | 52% | 47% |
| Midsize and super midsize | 270 | 112 | 41% | 39% |
| Light | 220 | 64 | 29% | 33% |
| Very light | 80 | 22 | 28% | 30% |
| All segments | 800 | 318 | 40% | 38% |
Source: Jetfleet Data Owner Intentions Survey panel matched to FAA aircraft registry changes, GAMA shipment reports and marketplace transaction records
Source: Jetfleet Data Owner Intentions Survey panel matched to FAA aircraft registry changes, GAMA shipment reports and marketplace transaction records
2Deliveries and backlog
Manufacturers shipped 182 business jets in the third quarter, 3 percent more than a year earlier. The increase came entirely from large cabin and midsize programs, where backlog cover is longest. Light and very light shipments both fell, and their combined backlog of $4.0 billion is the smallest we have recorded.
| Segment | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Change | Backlog, $bn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large cabin | 61 | 54 | +13% | 38.4 |
| Midsize and super midsize | 48 | 45 | +7% | 9.6 |
| Light | 52 | 55 | down 5% | 3.1 |
| Very light | 21 | 22 | down 5% | 0.9 |
| All segments | 182 | 176 | +3% | 52.0 |
Source: GAMA quarterly shipment reports, manufacturer quarterly filings, Jetfleet Data estimates of segment backlog
3Preowned transactions
Completed preowned retail sales rose to 612 in the quarter from 588 a year earlier. Light jets remain the largest preowned segment by count, and 41 of the 64 light jet owners who transacted bought preowned rather than new, which helps explain why light jet intentions convert into registry changes but not into manufacturer deliveries.2
Source: marketplace transaction records and FAA aircraft registry changes, Jetfleet Data classification
4Against our Owner Intentions Survey
5What to watch in the fourth quarter
Year end delivery pushes on two new large cabin programs, whether light jet lenders ease terms after a quarter of falling shipments, and the September 2026 survey wave, which we will match against transactions from the next edition.
How this product is built
- Intentions come from the Owner Intentions Survey panel, where respondents consent to matching against public registry records
- A transaction counts when a delivery, completed sale or registry change names the respondent's operating entity within the window
- Shipments follow GAMA reports and backlog follows manufacturer filings, with segment splits estimated where filings combine programs
Approved for subscribersDaniel OkaforDirector of Market Analysis · 8 October 2026
1 Owners who bought in a different segment from the one they intended are counted under their intended segment.
2 Preowned counts are whole aircraft retail sales and exclude fractional shares, leases and transfers between related entities.