ViewTech Keeps Their Thumb on the Pulse Of Industry News

Sustainability, Safety, Aircraft Values and Comfort: How a Certified Pre-Owned Program Addresses All and More

Key Takeaways

• The market for certified pre-owned aircraft has grown steadily over the prior decade; more and more customers are considering options rather than buying new, in part due to an increasingly eco-conscious customer base
• Refurbishing and retrofitting existing aircraft for sale is far more sustainable than the consistent manufacture of new aircraft
• Certified pre-owned aircraft brokers have several value-adds that make them an attractive option for new and old buyers alike

Featured Speakers:

• Marc Ayala, Senior Director, Business and Regional Avionics Sales, Collins Aerospace
• Kurt Edwards, Director General, International Business Aviation Council
• Amod Kelkar, Chief Commercial Officer Vice President, Customer Service, Honda Aircraft Co
• Rollie Vincent, Creator/Director, JETNET iQ
• Joe Zulueta, President, Aeronautical Systems
• Melissa Tomkeil, BLADE Urban Air Mobility, President and General Council

In the last two decades, the market for pre-owned aircraft has grown from a niche into a mature, legitimate industry. This is in large part due to the lengthy time periods aircraft have as working assets. As the panel of experts representing the new and pre-owned aircraft industry explain, the trends for certified pre-owned aircraft are very favorable:

– After year 42 past its production date, over 50% of jets are still in service
– The market for pre-owned aircraft is 3-4 times the size of the market for new aircraft
– Over 3,500 retail transactions involving pre-owned aircraft in the last few years alone
– The demand for certified pre-owned aircraft continues to grow

With these data points in mind, the panel experts asserted that the industry can bear even more certified pre-owned programs – programs like HondaJet’s own certified pre-owned buyer program. For as well as being economically viable, programs like this also contribute to industry-wide sustainability efforts.

To understand how a certified pre-owned program is more ecologically beneficial than manufacturing a new aircraft, panel experts broke down the life cycle of an aircraft into four stages:

1 – Upstream – everything from design to materials sourcing and manufacturing
2 – Core – the assembling of an aircraft
3 – Operation
4 – End-of-life

Each phase of an aircraft’s life incurs certain environmental impacts – and after year 25 post-production, most aircraft see a drop-off in their utilization. By retrofitting an existing aircraft with new technologies, not only does the aircraft’s lifespan increase – the emissions tied to the first two phases are negated entirely; leading to a huge reduction in the aircraft’s overall ecological impact.

As new generations of buyers prepare to enter the aviation market, trends show that buyers are increasingly more attuned to the issues of sustainability and ecological innovation. Businesses can capitalize on this shift in consumer preferences by promoting their dedication to these core values, and by making investments in both sustainable design and sustainable business practices.

Back to NBAA BACE