The Citation XLS+ market has strengthened considerably over the past two months, with inventory falling while transaction activity moves in the opposite direction. July produced the strongest sales month of the six-month period, bringing available supply down to its lowest level since February. With six-month sales comfortably outpacing current availability, the XLS+ enters August with a relatively healthy supply-and-demand balance.
Fleet Size and Availability
There are currently 12 Citation XLS+ aircraft available for sale, representing just 3.8% of the fleet.
Inventory climbed from 17 aircraft in February to 19 in March and April before reaching 20 in May. Since then, supply has contracted quickly, falling to 15 aircraft in June and just 12 in July.
That 40% decline from May’s peak is significant and indicates that buyers have recently been absorbing available inventory faster than new aircraft are entering the market.
Market Listings
Current asking prices range from $5.256 million to $14.995 million, reflecting the broad range of model years and configurations represented within the XLS+ fleet.
Available aircraft currently average 172 days on market, compared with 215 days for aircraft sold during the past six months. The difference is relatively modest, but today’s inventory is still somewhat fresher than the group of aircraft that has recently transacted.
Sales Activity
The XLS+ recorded 20 retail sales during the past six months, including 4 off-market transactions, representing 6.4% of the fleet.
Monthly activity has been notably consistent. Three aircraft sold in February, two in March, four in April, three in May and three in June. July then produced five transactions, the strongest month of the six-month period.
Reported sale prices ranged from $6.3 million to $12.8 million.
What This Means For You
Inventory is down 40% from its May peak, July was the strongest sales month of the past six months, and only 3.8% of the fleet is available against 6.4% that has changed hands over that same period. If you have been considering a sale, the supply-demand picture right now is as favorable as it has been all year. That does not mean any price works. The DOM gap between current listings and sold aircraft is still meaningful, and buyers have shown they will pass on aircraft that are not correctly positioned. But the market is moving in your direction. If you are a buyer, inventory has contracted sharply from its May peak and the pace of sales has accelerated. The selection available today is meaningfully smaller than it was three months ago, and that trend has not reversed.
