JETNET, a provider of corporate aviation information, released results for September and the first nine months of 2016 for the pre-owned business jet, business turboprop, helicopter and commercial airliner markets.

Key worldwide trends across all aircraft market segments were analyzed, comparing September 2016 to September 2015. Fleet for sale percentages for all market sectors were mixed in the September comparisons. Business jets and turbine helicopters showed the largest increases in percentage for sale compared to the other markets. Generally, inventories of pre-owned business jets for sale have increased and are now above the 2,400 mark.

Business jets are showing a 2.2% decline in pre-owned sale transactions in the first nine months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. The first quarter and second quarter were up 4.4% and 1.9%, respectively. Also, business jets are taking less time to sell (11 days) than last year. However, there was a 5.6% decrease in average asking price. Business turboprops increased 5.4% in sale transactions, with no change in asking price.

Piston helicopters saw a double-digit decline in sale transactions year to date, at 19.6%. Also, turbine helicopters recorded a 7% decline in sale transactions. Both turbine (up 9.9%) and piston (up 2.9%) helicopter segments showed increasing asking prices compared to last year.

Commercial airliners were also analyzed and include the numbers for sale for both commercial jets (including airliners converted to VIP) and commercial turboprops. Commercial jet year-to-date sale transactions, at 1,393, trailed business jets, at almost 1,800 sale transactions. However, pre-owned business jet and pre-owned commercial jet market sectors have surpassed the 1,000 mark for year-to-date sale transactions, as opposed to other market segments.

For the first nine months of 2016, there were 6,147 pre-owned commercial and business jets, turboprops and helicopters sold. This is an increase of 99, or 2%, more sale transactions compared to 2015.

Real gross domestic product, adjusted for price changes—increased at an annual rate of 2.9% in Q3/16, according to the advance estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the second quarter, real GDP increased 1.4%.

The BEA report of U.S. GDP shows that it has been on a steady course of improvement this year, with the first quarter low followed by a climb in the second quarter, leading to another improvement in the third quarter. Business aviation does well when the U.S. GDP percentage is above the 3.0% growth mark. The last quarters that were 3.0% or greater were in 2014.

Business aviation could certainly use another rise in the fourth quarter — above the 3.0% mark — to close out 2016 on a high note.