Partners in Aviation Reports Increase in Private Flyers Choosing Co-Ownership as Jet Card Capacity Tightens

Private flying is rising by every measure while capacity shrinks. Flyers who historically chose among jet card membership, fractional ownership, or sole ownership are finding a fourth option: co-ownership.

Tightening capacity across private aviation is pushing frequent flyers toward a fourth option, according to Partners In Aviation (PIA), which vets and matches compatible aircraft co-owners. Flyers who have historically chosen among jet card membership, fractional ownership, or sole ownership are increasingly looking at co-ownership: PIA reports a 22% year-over-year increase in inquiries from private flyers exploring alternatives to jet cards and memberships.

The shift drew notice in August. In a Forbes guide for flyers navigating the surge, covering what to know before committing to private aviation, PIA Managed Co-Ownership™ was singled out among the alternatives: the company matches two owners to one aircraft, splitting acquisition and fixed costs and significantly reducing the net hourly cost of time-share models built on large fleets and rotating crews. “Our focus is on operators flying 50 to 150 hours per year,” PIA President Mark Molloy told Forbes.

After a decade of matching co-owners, PIA has found that the 50 to 150 annual flight hour range is where co-ownership warrants consideration. For flyers in that range, co-ownership occupies a distinct position on the private aviation spectrum: two parties share the acquisition and fixed costs of a specific aircraft, each maintains a direct ownership interest, and each has 25-plus days of access per month. They fly their own aircraft, with their own crew, and the hourly operating cost typically runs about half that of fractional or membership programs, while the acquisition and fixed costs that every ownership model carries are split two ways rather than borne alone.

“Membership programs provide an airplane and a time slot that members need to work within,” Molloy said. “For many flyers, the flexibility to match their flying schedule to changes in their real-world schedule is an important factor.”

The numbers behind that shift run broader than any one program. Business aircraft logged nearly 3.9 million departures worldwide in 2025, an all-time record and 34% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to WingX Global Market Tracker data, and activity climbed another 4% through the first half of 2026, per JETNET’s mid-year Market Barometer. Manufacturers shipped 14.9% more business jets in the first quarter, per GAMA, yet preowned inventory still fell to 6.6% of the active fleet, down from 7.3% a year ago, according to JETNET. That is among the thinnest supply in years, indicating more buyers than sellers across the board. Order backlogs at the largest manufacturers now exceed $46 billion combined, per Forecast International, with new orders still outpacing deliveries, which means a multi-year wait at current production rates.

Then, in August, the tightening reached the top of the market. NetJets, the world leader in fractional ownership and jet card membership, moved to limit jet card and lease sales for the second time in five years, as reported by Forbes on August 2, citing record retention and industry-wide infrastructure constraints. More flying, fewer aircraft for sale, and the largest jet card program in the world limiting intake: for the frequent flyer, that means fewer options and higher costs.

Flyers navigating their choices are driven by the math. Below 50 hours per year, a jet card or membership is typically the most cost-effective choice. Above 150 hours, sole ownership is often the best answer. PIA serves the flyers in the middle.

“Capacity is tight, and the math of membership or sole ownership at 100 hours a year has been hard to defend for a while,” Molloy said. “Put the two together, and it’s no surprise more flyers are taking a closer look at co-ownership.”

“We have opportunities all across the country in light, mid, super-mid, and heavy jets,” Molloy added. “We match current owners interested in bringing on a like-minded co-owner with jet card and membership users interested in moving to a more cost-effective solution, and we provide the legal framework that lets them operate securely.”

To learn more about PIA Managed Co-Ownership, visit partnersinaviation.com.