New York’s business aviation market is bigger and newer than most people realize. Based on the current in-state fleet, 591 turboprops and business jets call New York home, and the numbers behind that fleet tell a clear story about who’s flying, what they’re flying, and where they keep it parked.
Here’s a look at the New York business aviation market by the numbers, the first in a series breaking down what’s actually flying in each state.
A Young, Well-Kept Fleet
New York’s fleet skews newer than a lot of people would guess. The average manufacture year for all 591 in-operation aircraft is 2008, with a median of 2009, and more than a third of the fleet (34 percent, or 203 aircraft) was built in 2015 or later. Only about 9 percent (55 aircraft) date back before 1990.
Ownership structure is heavily weighted toward direct ownership rather than fractional programs:
- Wholly owned: 560 aircraft (95 percent)
- Shared ownership: 31 aircraft (5 percent)
That’s a notably owner-heavy market compared to what you’d see in some fractional-heavy regions, and it lines up with New York’s concentration of corporate flight departments and high-net-worth individual owners.
Where the Fleet Lives
New York’s business aircraft are spread across 44 different base airports, but the market is heavily concentrated around a handful of fields, especially in Westchester County and Long Island:
- Westchester County Airport: 165 aircraft
- Republic Airport: 107 aircraft
- Long Island MacArthur Airport: 42 aircraft
- New York Stewart International Airport: 34 aircraft
- Frederick Douglass-Greater Rochester International Airport: 31 aircraft
- Buffalo Niagara International Airport: 20 aircraft
Just those top two airports, Westchester and Republic, account for nearly half the entire statewide fleet. That’s a strong signal for where demand for hangar space, maintenance, and management services is most concentrated.
What New York Flies
Gulfstream is the clear leader in the New York market, with 141 aircraft statewide, more than double the next closest manufacturer. Citation (65), Falcon (63), Challenger (42), and Learjet (40) round out the top five by manufacturer.
By specific model, the top of the list is dominated by Gulfstream’s large-cabin lineup:
- Gulfstream G550: 30
- Gulfstream G650ER: 23
- Gulfstream G600: 20
- Gulfstream G450: 17
- Hawker 4000: 11
- Embraer Phenom 300: 10
- Falcon 7X: 10
- Gulfstream G-IVSP: 10
- Learjet 60: 10
- Global 6000: 10
Four of the top five spots on that list belong to Gulfstream, which says something about the buying power concentrated in the New York market. This isn’t a state dominated by entry-level light jets. It’s a large-cabin, long-range market first.
What’s on the Market Right Now
Of the 591 aircraft based in New York, 51 are currently listed for sale, or about 9 percent of the total fleet. Ranked by which models have the most units for sale right now:
- Hawker 4000: 4 for sale
- Embraer Phenom 100: 2 for sale
- Challenger 604: 2 for sale
- Falcon 900: 2 for sale
- Gulfstream G200: 2 for sale
- Gulfstream G450: 2 for sale
The Hawker 4000 stands alone at the top, and five models are tied just behind it at two listings apiece, spanning everything from midsize to large-cabin equipment. That spread suggests active turnover across nearly every segment of the market right now, not just one category.
The Operators Behind the Fleet
A handful of charter and management operators account for a meaningful share of the aircraft actually flying in New York:
- Talon Air, LLC: 18 aircraft
- Sunset Aviation, LLC: 16 aircraft
- Jet Aviation Flight Services, Inc.: 12 aircraft
- Executive Jet Management, Inc.: 12 aircraft
- Wheels Up (combined entities): 22 aircraft
That concentration matters for owners deciding between self-management and third-party management. A short list of operators already manages a meaningful chunk of the state’s fleet, which typically means established infrastructure, established maintenance relationships, and established charter demand to offset ownership costs.
Fleet Activity
The average airframe in New York’s fleet has logged just under 4,950 total flight hours. For a fleet skewing this new, that points to genuinely active utilization rather than aircraft sitting idle in hangars, a healthy sign for an owner base this concentrated in large-cabin, long-range equipment.
The Bottom Line
New York’s business aviation market is large, concentrated, and skews toward newer, larger-cabin aircraft owned outright rather than through fractional programs. Westchester and Republic alone account for nearly half the statewide fleet, Gulfstream dominates the model mix, and active for-sale inventory spans the full range from turboprops to ultra-long-range jets. For owners and buyers trying to understand where they fit into this market, or brokers trying to figure out where the next deal is likely to come from, the fleet data tells a pretty clear story: New York is a large-cabin, owner-heavy market concentrated around a small number of airports, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Contact Holstein Aviation to talk through where your aircraft fits into the New York market, whether you’re buying, selling, or reevaluating how it’s managed.
