Cirrus Claims 70% Market Share

Cirrus Aircraft has claimed a 70% share of the high-speed single-engine market thanks to strong deliveries in 2012.

Deliveries of the SR series climbed from 45 in the first quarter of the year to 84 in the last quarter, returning a total of 253 aircraft for the year.

The result was thanks to a very strong Q4 from the normally-aspirated SR22, 35 of which were delivered compared to the average of 15 across the previous periods.

Cirrus' Executive VP Sales, Marketing and Customer Support Todd Simmons noted that the brand was holding its ground in the market.

"Cirrus Aircraft's annual performance was highlighted by a steady quarterly rise in airplane deliveries throughout 2012, capped off by strong year-end sales," he explained.

"While we sold essentially the same number of airplanes in 2012 as the previous year, we strengthened the business through efficiency improvements and increased the value per aircraft delivered. We are continuing both these trends in the new year."

According to Simmons, business owners are returning to aircraft to support their activities.

"Smart small businesses are investing in growth," he believes. "Many Cirrus owners use their airplane as a critical business tool and purchased a new Cirrus in 2012 - or are planning to do so in 2013 - for exactly that purpose.

"A Cirrus can be just as important a business asset as logistics equipment, key technology or critical personnel for example. A Cirrus enables efficient regional travel, allowing business owners to reach more customers or colleagues in a single day."

Fleet sales of the SR20 to both the US Air Force and the French Air Force helped the smaller SR20 keep pace with the larger SR22 and turbo SR22T, with 84 deliveries across the whole year.

Total Deliveries