The 2018 third quarter aircraft shipments and billings report from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) shows that deliveries increased in the first nine months of the year compared to last year.
However, total billings decreased.
“This is one of those few times since the great recession that we have seen all segments up in shipment numbers,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “While there remain some soft spots in a few segments, including business jet deliveries and impacts being felt from global trade disputes, I’m optimistic about our industry’s performance in 2019 given continuing healthy demand for tax expensing, stabilization of the used market, and the number of new products being introduced to the market place.”
Piston rotorcraft deliveries increased by 15.8% to 220. Turbine rotorcraft shipments increased by 8.3% to 510 deliveries. Piston airplane deliveries increased by 8.3% to 784 units.
Shipments of turboprops improved by 5.6% from 374 to 395 airplanes. Business jet shipments increased from 433 to 446 deliveries.
However, overall billings were down from $13.1 billion a year ago to $12.7 billion in the first nine months of this year.
