U.S. business and general aviation manufacturers continued to gain steam in the second quarter with total fixed-wing deliveries reaching 618 aircraft, up 123 units from the same year-ago period, and just eight units shy of the same quarter in 2019, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
Releasing the second quarter billings and shipments today, GAMA reported deliveries were up year-over-year across all categories. Both turboprops and piston deliveries exceeded 2019 totals, though business jet shipments were still down significantly from 2019.
Business jet shipments reached 151 units in the second quarter, up from the 130 handed over in second-quarter 2020 but down from the 192 in the same three-month period in 2019. Turboprop shipments, meanwhile, jumped to 137 units in the most recent quarter, compared with 81 from a year earlier and 109 in 2019. Piston deliveries reached 330 in the quarter, up from 284 in 2020 and 325 in 2019.
For the first six months, total fixed-wing deliveries were up 16.8 percent year-over-year to 1,050 units. Business jet deliveries were up 8.2 percent to 264 units, and piston deliveries by 12.3 percent to 565 in the first six months. But turboprop deliveries have jumped by 45.4 percent to 221 units.
As a result, aircraft billings in the first half rose 9.4 percent, from $7.9 billion in 2020 to $8.6 billion. This is still down from $9.9 billion in the first six months of 2019.
Similarly, the 341 first-half helicopter deliveries marked increases in both the piston and turbine categories for a 32.7 percent improvement. In the first six months, piston helicopter shipments increased 31.7 percent to 83, and turbine helicopters by 33 percent to 258. Helicopter billings jumped 37.7 percent from $1 billion in the first half of last year to $1.4 billion this year. This is down slightly from the $1.5 billion in the first half of 2019.
“Through the first six months of 2021, we can see that the industry continues to progress in its recovery efforts,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “While it is encouraging to see segments improve from 2020, we still trail when compared to how the industry was faring before the onset of the pandemic.”
Interest and demand remain strong, he added, but the industry is working toward addressing supply chain issues and strengthening workforces while focusing on sustainability.
