A Strong Start to 2026: Aircraft Financing Outlook and Market Momentum

As we move further into 2026, I’ve spent some time during my travels reflecting on where we can provide the most value through our monthly Plane Truth finance posts. I’ve been financing aircraft since 2011, and this segment of the industry has always fascinated me. 

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As lenders, we have a front-row seat to so many cool areas of the industry, and by talking to our borrowers, we’re able to learn a lot about how the nation’s economy actually runs. 

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For the rest of 2026, my goal is to provide various updates on a regular cadence through our Plane Truth posts. 

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Quarterly, we’ll review industry interest rate conditions, informed by actions (or inactions) by the Federal Reserve, along with a review of the yield curve. 

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We’ll also take a quarterly look at macro transaction activity, which shows us how strong the market appears to be. Then, we’ll take a quarterly review of what interesting anecdotes we’re seeing out there. 

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This month, I wanted to briefly comment on what we’ve seen in our loan fundings so far this year. 

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Put simply, by looking at what sort of funding, requests, and discussions our lenders have had, it’s clear that aircraft owners and dealer/brokers are gearing up for an opportunistic 2026.  Borrowers and prospects are planning ahead for purchases later this year. 

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Looking at our loan pipeline, there definitely appears to be optimism in the owner-flown aircraft markets, which should bode well for macroeconomic conditions in the near term. 

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Multiple factors could be at play. I think the interest rate environment is finally at a level where it makes sense to proceed with a purchase and consider financing. 

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Considering 30-50% of aircraft buyers finance (depending on make and model), this could bring a new set of buyers to the market that may have stayed out while rates were higher. 

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I’m looking forward to seeing how this dynamic plays out through the rest of the year. 

Also, I’m curious about your thoughts…how do things look out there to you? Where do you see things going? 

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Shoot me a note at mjsmith@scopeair.com, maybe our conversation will lead to the next anecdotal touch base in one of this year’s aircraft finance Plane Truth posts.

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