Gulfstream Pre-Owned Inventory Scarcity vs. Utilization Decline Paradox — Fleet Expansion Diluting Per-Aircraft Use Intensity

★★★ Dual cross-verification. Hagerty Jet Group reported on April 2 that pre-owned Gulfstreams are extremely hard to source and trades close rapidly, citing an annual transaction figure (needs confirmation whether this is Hagerty's own deal volume or the full market). AviGo data shows Q1 2026 global active Gulfstream fleet expanded significantly vs. the prior year (from ~762 to ~909 aircraft), with total flight hours growing far less than the fleet size — pushing per-aircraft monthly utilization from ~32 hours down to ~28.5 hours. 28–32 monthly hours sits within the reasonable range for business aviation industry (typical 25–40 hours/month). Note: a single-quarter net add of ~147 active aircraft is sizable and may partly reflect 'active' definition criteria changes — verification recommended. The paradox resolution: pre-owned market 'scarcity' reflects tradable inventory scarcity (seller reluctance), not operational aircraft shortage. G700 delivery acceleration is pushing active fleet up, but end-flight demand growth lags capacity expansion — utilization gets diluted. For charter operators: sourcing is harder but fleet efficiency is under pressure.