The General Aviation Manufacturers Association
(GAMA) has published the first quarter 2018 aircraft shipment report.
The overall delivery of airplanes and
rotorcraft rose compared to the same quarter of 2017, but with some mixed
performance within the types.
Piston rotorcraft led the first quarter,
rising from 58 to 81 units, a 39.7 percent increase. The turbine rotorcraft
segment also grew by seven percent to 138 units delivered. The total rotorcraft
billings in the first quarter was $0.67bn, an increase of 18.3 percent.
Turboprop airplane deliveries provided the
best performance in the airplane segment, growing by 12.7 percent. The delivery
of business jets increased slightly from 130 to 132 airplanes. The piston
airplane segment declined by three units, from 203 in first quarter 2017 to 200
in this year.
Airplanes |
2017 |
2018 |
Change |
|
|
|
|
Piston
Airplanes |
203 |
200 |
-1.5% |
Turboprops |
102
|
115 |
+12.7% |
Business Jets |
130 |
132 |
+1.5% |
Total Airplanes |
435 |
447 |
+2.8% |
Total Airplane Billings |
$3.71bn |
$3.83bn |
+3.3% |
“We are pleased to see the industry is,
overall, trending positively,” said GAMA President and CEO
Pete Bunce.
“Training needs are driving the demands in the rotorcraft segment, while a
stabilizing used market, overall global economic growth and aviation innovation
are driving the other segment increases.
Rotorcraft |
2017 |
2018 |
Change |
|
|
|
|
Piston
Rotorcraft |
58 |
81 |
+39.7% |
Turbine
Rotorcraft |
129 |
138 |
+7.0% |
Total Rotorcraft |
187 |
219 |
+17.1% |
Total Rotorcraft Billings |
$0.57bn |
$0.67bn |
+18.3% |
"We expect the introduction of new products to
drive future growth, which underscores just how important it is for the U.S.
Congress to pass a long-term FAA Reauthorization bill and the executive branch
to carefully implement trade policies, to avoid adversely affecting industry
growth in future quarters - something our member companies conveyed directly to
members of Congress this week during GAMA’s annual Hill Day.”
|