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The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) published a nine-month industry update with the release of its third quarter general aviation aircraft shipments and billings report. Aggregate business jet and piston airplane deliveries continued experiencing increases through the first nine months of 2019 compared to last year, whereas the number of turboprops and rotorcraft deliveries declined.
“The first nine months of 2019 show positive results for business jets and piston airplanes,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “Turboprops and rotorcraft, however, continued to encounter headwinds. Despite these mixed results, our manufacturers continue their investments in advanced factory machinery, design software, and associated processes that keep product development cycles robust and in-turn bring advances in fuel efficiency, capability, and safety to the global fleet.”
Business jet deliveries rose by 15.4 per cent in the first nine months of 2019 from 447 in 2018 to 516 in 2019. Piston airplane deliveries also experienced double-digit growth of 12.3 per cent from 781 units in 2018 to 877 in 2019. The number of turboprop deliveries declined from 395 to 349 airplanes.
The number of rotorcraft delivered during the first nine months of 2019 was down compared to 2018. In the first nine months of the year, 434 turbine powered rotorcraft were delivered and 136 piston engine powered rotorcraft. The value of rotorcraft shipments was US$2.2 billion compared to US$2.7 billion, a 17.3 per cent reduction.
