The Citation CJ4 Gen2 market enters August in a very different position than it did earlier this year. What had been an exceptionally supply-constrained market is now moving toward a more normalized pre-owned environment as inventory has expanded substantially. Buyers have more choices than they did only a few months ago, but the current data does not yet suggest a weak market. With 12 aircraft currently available and 11 sales over the past six months, supply and recent transaction volume remain relatively close, while current inventory is still remarkably fresh.
Fleet Size and Availability
There are currently 12 Citation CJ4 Gen2 aircraft identified as available for sale, including 4 off-market aircraft, representing 7.9% of the fleet.
The most significant development in this market is the pace at which inventory has grown. Aircraft tracked for sale increased from just 2 in February to 11 in July, with the sharpest jump occurring between April and May, when availability increased from five aircraft to nine.
That increase materially changes the buying environment. Earlier this year, buyers often had very few alternatives when a desirable CJ4 Gen2 became available. Today, they can compare multiple late-model aircraft based on price, total time, maintenance status, equipment, condition, and overall specification.
The key distinction, however, is that this is new inventory growth, not yet an accumulation of stale aircraft.
Market Listings
Current asking prices range from $11.0 million to $13.8 million, while reported transaction prices over the past six months range from $9.59 million to $13.5 million.
With a larger number of aircraft competing for buyer attention, proper positioning is becoming more important than it was when only a handful of options existed. Buyers now have enough selection to make meaningful aircraft-to-aircraft comparisons rather than feeling compelled to pursue whichever opportunity becomes available first.
One of the most important statistics in the market is days on market. Current listings average just 65 days on market, compared with 67 days for aircraft sold during the past six months.
That near-identical relationship is significant. It indicates that today’s larger inventory pool is still relatively fresh and has not yet developed into a backlog of aging listings. For that reason, the increase in supply should be viewed as a transition toward a more balanced market rather than evidence of deterioration.
Sales Activity
A total of 11 CJ4 Gen2 aircraft have sold during the past six months, including 4 off-market transactions, representing 7.3% of the fleet.
Monthly activity has been relatively consistent, with two transactions each in February and March, one in April, two in May, three in June, and one in July. June was the strongest month of the six-month period, while July slowed to a single transaction.
The July slowdown is worth watching, particularly because inventory has continued to increase. But one slower month does not yet establish a weakening trend. The more important question is whether the additional aircraft that have entered the market are absorbed over the next several months or begin to accumulate and age.
Key Takeaways
• 12 CJ4 Gen2 aircraft are currently available, including 4 off-market, representing 7.9% of the fleet.
• Inventory has increased dramatically from just 2 aircraft in February to 11 in July.
• 11 aircraft sold during the past six months, representing 7.3% of the fleet.Â
• Current supply is now slightly greater than six-month transaction volume.
• Asking prices range from $11.0 million to $13.8 million.
• Current inventory averages only 65 DOM, almost identical to the 67 DOM average for sold aircraft.
• July recorded just 1 transaction following 3 sales in June.
• The increased inventory remains relatively fresh, so the market has not yet developed the characteristics of an oversupplied market.
Key Insight
The CJ4 Gen2 market is transitioning from extreme scarcity toward more normalized pre-owned supply, but it is too early to characterize the market as weak or materially buyer-favorable. Inventory has expanded quickly, giving buyers considerably more leverage and selection than they had earlier this year, yet current aircraft average only 65 days on market; essentially identical to the 67-day average for recently sold aircraft.
The next several months will be particularly revealing. If transaction activity accelerates and this new inventory is absorbed, the market may settle into a healthy balance with greater choice for buyers but continued support for properly positioned sellers. If inventory continues to build while sales remain closer to July’s pace, however, aircraft will begin to age and pricing pressure could follow.
For sellers, the important change is that scarcity alone is no longer enough to create urgency. Buyers can now compare multiple CJ4 Gen2s, making pricing, equipment, maintenance status, condition, total time, and presentation increasingly important. For buyers, this represents a welcome improvement in selection, but the current data still suggests an active market rather than one in distress.
