After gold hit $1,000 an ounce last month and oil reached $110 a barrel on the same day, financial markets continued to experience the turmoil that started the year. All the doom and gloom causes one to take an introspective look at the health of the aircraft sales market. So far, the biggest angst that might be plaguing industry participants is survivor’s remorse as this sector seems to be navigating the economic malaise with aplomb.
Aircraft sales might have backed off a while ago were the market supported only by U.S. interest, but sales of new and pre-owned aircraft have continued, buoyed by international demand–driven in part by the precipitous fall of the U.S. dollar against many major currencies. As manufacturers’ order books have filled, with backlogs extending in many cases into the next decade, the flow of pre-owned aircraft to the market has stemmed but is perhaps now more orderly.
