A surge in private aircraft sales is leaving hangar space in short supply

Sales of private aircraft have boomed since 2020. And that's causing a problem at general aviation airports, the kind used by corporations, private pilots, flying schools, and the like: Where do you park all those planes when they're not in the air?

Triangle North Executive Airport is about 30 miles north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The airport is off a two-lane road in a rural area, but it’s a busy place. It averaged about 170 daily flight operations in 2025, and the region’s population is one of the fastest-growing in the country, according to the Census Bureau.

There are 45 compact hangars, known as T-hangars, at Triangle North. If an owner moves their plane out, airport director Bo Carson said his phone starts ringing with prospective tenants.

"We tend to get two or three calls a week looking for hangar space because they want to put their aircraft inside," Carson said.

Some smaller aircraft can park on the tarmac. But Carson said owners of corporate jets, who spend anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars on these planes, want better shelter for their investments.

"I get it,” he said. “You put a lot of money in it. Some of them are fabric. Some of them are composite."

Sales of corporate jets surged during the pandemic. Growth is taking off again due to a tax break passed last year in the tax law championed by President Donald Trump. Companies can write off up to 100% of an aircraft purchase.

The lack of hangar space is a nationwide problem, according to Leon Jackler, vice president at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

"Something like over 80% of airports that have been surveyed have waiting lists for hangar space that extends many years in in a lot of cases," Jackler said.

While passenger airports can earn money through passenger and airline fees, Jackler said general aviation airports rely on hangar leases to bring in revenue. These can vary from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per month.

"It's kind of like 'if you build it, they will come,'" he said. "That is the reality with hangars. Airports will see more economic activity if they have those facilities."

Earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced nearly $1.8 billion in grants for airport improvements, including hangar construction and renovation.

Meanwhile, states like Pennsylvania are considering changes to aviation taxes and fees to fund hangar projects.