📉 G650 Fleet "Shrinking but Busier": 534 Aircraft Carrying the Workload of 588
Fleet contraction paired with rising utilization is the most significant structural signal in the G650/G650ER market for Q1 2026. Avi-Go data shows the active global fleet fell from 588 aircraft in Q1 2025 to 534 in Q1 2026 (-9.2%), while business aviation movements declined only from 15,013 to 14,221 (-5.3%), implying a ~4.3% increase in per-aircraft utilization. The G650ER saw the sharpest fleet reduction, from 341 to 306 aircraft (-10.3%), yet still accounted for 62.4% of total Q1 2026 movements. Per AIN, Hagerty Jet Group confirms extreme scarcity across pre-owned Gulfstream models with available aircraft transacting quickly; a portion of G650ERs have likely entered resale or refurbishment pipelines, temporarily exiting active service.
Implications: Higher per-aircraft flight intensity means accelerated hot-section and airframe inspection intervals for MRO providers, with concentrated workorder demand likely in H2 2026. For brokers, tightening inventory continues to shift negotiating leverage toward sellers.
Recommendations: MRO operators should secure pre-purchase agreements for critical G650-series parts — particularly BR725 consumables — before Q2 2026 to prepare for concentrated maintenance demand in H2. Brokers should target a 6-month window to reprice existing inventory, using Q1 2025 transaction values plus an 8%-12% premium as the reference benchmark.