2016: The Year GA Wants To Forget

Deliveries of General Aviation aircraft around the world went down significantly – in fact, it was down by double digits. Overall, fixed-wing business and general aviation shipments dipped by nearly 70 airplanes to 2,262 and rotorcraft shipments were down by 175 units to 861, according to GAMA.

The Washington DC-based General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) recently released its 2016 year-end aircraft shipment and billings numbers at its “Annual Industry Review”. GAMA represents over 90 of the world’s leading manufacturers, general aviation airplanes and rotorcraft, engines, avionics, components, and related services. In addition to building nearly all of the general aviation aircraft flying worldwide today, GAMA’s member companies also operate fleets of airplanes, fixed-based operations, pilot/technician training centres, and maintenance facilities worldwide.

GAMA Chairman Simon Caldecott, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft, announced that airplane shipments globally fell 3.9 percent, from 2,331 units in 2015 to 2,241 units in 2016 from the same reporting companies, whereas airplane billings declined 14.1 percent, from $24.1 billion to $20.7 billion. Worldwide rotorcraft shipments fell 16.9 percent, from 1,036units in 2015 to 861 units in 2016. The rotorcraft billings declined from $4.7 billion in 2015 to $3.6 billion in 2016.

Business jet shipments in 2016 were at their lowest number since 2004 at 661 units delivered, compared to 718 units in 2015. Turboprop airplane shipments provided a bright spot, increasing from 557 units in 2015 to 576 units in 2016 for the same reporting companies, a 3.4 percent increase. Piston airplane shipments declined from 1,056 units in 2015 to 1,004 units in 2016, a reduction of 4.9 percent for the same reporting companies. Turbine helicopter shipments, based on initial data, declined from 757 units in 2015 to 637 units in 2016. Piston helicopter shipments declined from 279 units in 2015 to 224 units in 2016.