Total Avionics Sales Exceed $1.73 Billion In Through The Third Quarter Of 2017, A 4.1 Percent Increase

The Aircraft Electronics Association has released its third-quarter 2017 Avionics Market Report. In the first nine months of the year, total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales amounted to $1,732,915,016.06, or more than $1.73 billion as reported by the participating companies. The figure represented a 4.1 percent increase in year-over-year sales compared to the first nine months of 2016 amount of $1,664,109,078.49.

Sales during the third-quarter months of July, August and September in 2017 were $587,941,517.00, a 7.1 percent increase compared to the 2016 third-quarter sales of $548,849,118.30.

The dollar amount reported (using net sales price, not manufacturer's suggested retail price) includes: all business and general aviation aircraft electronic sales -- including all component and accessories in cockpit/cabin/software upgrades/portables/certified and noncertified aircraft electronics; all hardware (tip to tail); batteries; and chargeable product upgrades from the participating manufacturers. The amount does not include repairs and overhauls, extended warranty or subscription services.

Of the more than $1.73 billion in sales during the first nine months of 2017, 57.7 percent came from the retrofit market  (avionics equipment installed after original production), while forward-fit sales (avionics equipment installed by airframe manufacturers during original production)  amounted to 42.3 percent of sales.

According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between North America (U.S. and Canada) and other international markets, 73.5 percent of sales in the first nine months of 2017 occurred in North America (U.S. and Canada), while 26.5 percent took place in other international markets.  

"The third-quarter report indicates that the retrofit market appears to be thriving, as those sales have increased more than 28 percent in the past year," said AEA President Paula Derks. "To further that point, retrofit sales increased more than 32 percent during the third-quarter months alone. This is consistent with what shop owners in the United States have been telling me during our AEA Connect Conferences this fall, as many have a backlog of work ranging anywhere from two to six months. I am hopeful that the retrofit market will remain healthy as we get closer and closer to the Jan. 1, 2020, deadline for aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B Out avionics in the U.S."

Below is a review of the year-end totals for the five-year history of the AEA Avionics Market Report. Participating companies began separating total sales into retrofit/forward-fit sales in 2013.

(Source: AEA news release)

FMI: www.aea.net