Heartening News: Aircraft Shipments and Billings Lookin' Good

The General Aviation Manufacturer's Association released the third quarter report on GA shipments and billings, showing strong increases in 2021 when compared to an anemic 2020.

Turboprop, business jet, and helicopter deliveries saw increases during the first 9 months of the year, with near parity in piston airplane shipments. Overall, statistics for the industry have improved across the board, no difficult feat for a year that was frought with economic uncertainty and erratic travel conditions. More interesting the the recovery seen compared to 2019 figures, where most categories show near parity to modern quantities. 

Piston aircraft sales in 2021 only lagged from 2020 numbers by 6 airplanes, less than 1% of the total, at 895 sold in 2021. Comparing the numbers to 2019, piston aircraft sales for Q3 had reached 877 units, 98% of 2021's totals through November. Similar trends occur in other categories, with turboprop deliveries besting 2020 totals by almost 41%. while only falling short of 2019 sales by 2 aircraft. The overall health of the market is heartening, with 2021 having almost matched 2019's total billing. This year has seen $13.4 billion in total airplane sales, up from 11.9 the year before, and not much lower than a pre-pandemic total of $14.8 billion. 

The rotary wing market is returning equally well. 2020 saw total billing of $1.8 billion in November, while this year bested that total by 37%, while besting 2019's equivalent by about 8%. Total helicopters shipped were up 23.8% from 2020, while only lagging from 2019 by 5%. 

“The general aviation manufacturing industry has shown perseverance with continued growth, all while still navigating pandemic-related setbacks, including ongoing supply chain and workforce challenges. Despite the constraints imposed by shortages of parts and people, our manufacturers and maintenance providers are working hard to meet the growing demand for both new and used aircraft, which we obviously welcome and embrace. Our members are also leading the way in new innovations and technologies, which will shape the future of aviation. The first nine months of 2021 have shown great progress and we look forward to seeing how the year closes out,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce.

FMI: www.gama.aero