Some bizjet values in 'dire straits,' consultant says

Business jet valuations for pre-mid-1990 models are in "dire straits" and likely will never recover, according to Conklin & de Decker vice president David Wyndham. "Many of the early, first-generation business jets are probably at or near their salvage value: the value of their individual airworthy components," Wyndham noted in his company's newsletter. "Given their relatively high operating costs, many of the oldest models, although airworthy, are near the end of their economic useful life." Meanwhile, he expects business jet values for mid-1990 to early 2000 models to see a mild recovery, but probably not until after 2012. Wyndham predicts that values for business jets less than about five years old will recover first and most strongly.