UPDATE: Q3 GAMA Report Show Aircraft Sales, Shipments Still Declining

Despite the continued decline in 2016 aircraft sales and shipping numbers, GAMA feels there is reason for optimism.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has released the Q3 2016 aircraft sales and shipping numbers for the general aviation industry. And overall, for the first 9 months of 2016, the numbers are showing a 3.5% decline in GA airplane shipments and a 16% decline in rotorcraft shipments worldwide, versus last year during the same period.

GAMA’s President and CEO Pete Bunce said, “There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that these numbers are not what we had wanted to see. Unfortunately, they reflect the instability of the used aircraft market coupled with complicating global economic and geopolitical factors.” Bunce did, however, note that all of the GAMA airplane and rotorcraft manufacturers have new product programs either recently completed or currently underway, which provides optimism for the future.

Bunce also noted that with the election now over, they’re looking forward to working with the new administration and Congress, and highlighting the importance of maintaining vibrant business and general aviation industries, with aircraft manufacturing, maintenance and overhaul jobs at the core. “We also welcome a focus on making critical infrastructure investments, particularly airports and heliports, to support a safe and growing global aviation system. We stand ready to work with elected and appointed officials on policies that facilitate certification reform and product innovation, and improve the validation and acceptance of products worldwide.”

More Details on the Q3 2016 Aircraft Sales Numbers

Amid the 3.5% decline in aircraft shipments, 16% decline in rotorcraft shipments, and 16.5% decline in combined billing for both categories, GAMA did note that the numbers had a small bright spot in Turboprop shipments, which saw a 1.3% increase.

^{* According to GAMA, Leonardo Helicopters began reporting combined civil/commercial and military/government unit deliveries in Q3 2016, so they adjusted these numbers for turbine helicopters to align the 2015 data shown with this change.}

For those interested in reading the full report, click here.

Original Post 8-5-16: GAMA Reveals Q2 Decline In Aircraft Sales and Shipments

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has just released worldwide data on aircraft shipments and aircraft sales for the first half of 2016. And the numbers reveal an overall decline. According to GAMA, industry airplane shipments totaled 970 units, a 4.5% decrease, while airplane sales dropped from $10.4 billion to $9.3 billion, or an 11% decrease. Rotorcraft shipments also dropped 16% with 392 units shipped compared to 467 units during the same period last year.  In addition, rotorcraft sales took a much larger hit, dropping from $2.1 billion to $1.4 billion, a 32.5% decrease.

“In a challenging global climate, every segment of the fixed-wing and rotorcraft market showed declines for the first half of 2016,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA President and CEO. “As we saw at AirVenture last week, general aviation manufacturers are working hard to regain momentum by delivering innovative new products and technologies that enhance safety and provide substantial improvement in capability.”

Bunce also said that Congress hasn’t done enough to support aircraft manufacturers or maintenance, repair, and overhaul businesses. He reiterated his feelings on the passing of the recent FAA extension, saying that it was a missed opportunity to include reforms for the “outdated and overly prescriptive certification processes.”

Bunce noted that Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) also viewed the extension as “a sorely missed opportunity for Congress” and that Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) said that overhauling the FAA’s certification process “would have created jobs.”

“As these members of Congress and others recognize, general aviation manufacturers and MRO companies, along with their employees, deserve better. We hope to see greater commitment by policymakers around the globe to give manufacturers the regulatory environment they need to succeed and allow our industry to continue to move forward,” Bunce concluded.

Further Q2 2016 Aircraft Sales and Shipment Figures

GAMA’s figures show that piston airplane deliveries declined 4.5%, from 464 units to 443 units. Turboprop shipments slipped from 247 units to 235 units. or a 4.9% decline. In addition, business jet aircraft shipments slid 4.3%, with 292 units being shipped versus 305 during the same period last year. 116 piston rotorcraft shipped, a 10% drop, while 276 turbine rotorcraft shipped, an 18% drop.

For more information and a complete listing of the figures, you can visit the GAMA website.

^{Featured Image: Gunther Hagleitner}