Market Still Weak As Most Segments Down Over The Previous Year

GAMA has released the 2015 worldwide year-end aircraft shipment and billing numbers at its annual “State of the Industry” press conference at the Newseum, and the news was pretty dismal for much of the industry.

GAMA Chairman Aaron Hilkemann, President and CEO of Duncan Aviation, announced that total worldwide general aviation (GA) airplane shipments fell 4.6 percent, from 2,376 units in 2014 to 2,267 units in 2015. Billings for GA airplanes also dropped to $20.9 billion, down 4 percent from $21.8 billion in 2014. Worldwide rotorcraft shipments fell 4.4 percent, from 998 units in 2014 to 954 units in 2015, while billings dipped 21.9 percent, from $4.9 billion to $3.8 billion.

Shipments of piston-engine airplanes fell for the first time since 2010, down 6.5 percent, from 1,129 units in 2014 to 1,056 units in 2015. Turboprop airplane shipments also declined, from 603 units in 2014 to 557 units in 2015, a 7.6 percent drop. Preliminary business jet shipments were relatively flat, up 1.6 percent, from 644 units in 2014 to 654 units in 2015. Shipments of piston helicopters rose 8.6 percent, from 257 units in 2014 to 279 units in 2015. Turbine helicopter shipments, based on initial data, softened from 741 units in 2014 to 675 units last year.

“The mixed 2015 year-end numbers among the various sectors reflect a market characterized by plummeting energy sector revenue, economic uncertainty, and currency fluctuations in key GA markets such as Brazil, Europe, Russia, and China,” GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said. “Given the relative strength of the North American GA market, it is particularly important that the U.S. Congress proceed quickly to pass an FAA reauthorization bill that contains certification streamlining and other regulatory reforms that allow manufacturers and repair/overhaul organizations to deliver products more efficiently and make the FAA workforce more productive."

 “In fact, with both the U.S. and Europe looking to revise the rules governing their leading safety authorities, we are at a unique moment that brings with it opportunities and challenges in areas such as leveraging resources, certification efficiency, and better regulation for GA,” Bunce continued.  “As a global association, GAMA will continue to work for more effective and efficient regulatory systems worldwide that improve safety and ensure manufacturers, repair and overhaul centers, and our supply chain can get their products into customers’ hands without delay.”

GAMA notes that Bombardier Q4 aircraft delivery data will only be available when Bombardier Inc. announces its financial results for 2015 on Thursday, February 18, 2016. Finmeccanica Helicopters Q4 data is not available at the time of publication. Finmeccanica Helicopters will release year-end results on March 16, 2016. GAMA will update the report then.

(Source: GAMA news release)

FMI: www.gama.aero