A wave of AI-driven wealth and SpaceX’s record $85.7 billion IPO is spilling into private aviation, accelerating purchases and charters across the sector. Aviation attorney Amanda Applegate says aircraft transactions at her firm are up 25% this year as newly liquid founders, early employees and bankers move quickly to secure planes or memberships. Industry data underscore the surge: shared-ownership flights rose 11.8% in the first five months of 2026, and owner-operated flights climbed 13.4%, according to Jetnet. San Francisco led major U.S. cities with an 11% jump in business-jet activity, while flights near SpaceX’s Brownsville launch site spiked 177% during the IPO window, WingX said.
Private flying typically begins with jet cards or fractional programs before full ownership; hourly charters run from about $1,500 to $18,500, and aircraft purchases from $6 million to $70 million. Flexjet reports a younger clientele as first-generation tech wealth enters the market. Jet Linx said business is up 60% year-to-date, with strong gains in Texas. Brokers describe scarce inventory and rising prices, echoing past cycles where liquidity events boosted jet deliveries—up 24% during the dot-com era. With valuations for SpaceX near $2 trillion and potential IPOs for OpenAI and Anthropic, the industry is positioning for continued demand.
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