Familiar Names return to Delivery Sheets

Two very familiar names in general aviation made huge impacts on the aircraft delivery figures for the last quarter of 2015, according to the figures released yesterday by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

Piper's PA-28 Warrior and Archer recorded their best sales for 2015, as did the resurrected Cessna C182T, which returned to the product range after Cessna put a hold on the diesel-powered Skylane JT-A.

Piper shipped 20 Warriors and 13 Archers for Q4 2015, and Cessna delivered 25 C182Ts, proving the wisdom of reinstating the model. The Warrior shipments in Q4 were the only ones recorded for the calendar year.

Cirrus' SR22 range continued to be the best-selling aeroplane world-wide, with the 90 aircraft shipped nearly three times the score of the growing Cessna TTx, and 18 times that of the G36 Bonanza.

Similarly, Diamond's DA42 twin continues to outsell both the Beech G58 Baron and the Piper Seneca combined.

There were two newcomers to the shipment list in 2015, Diamond's DA62 twin and the much-awaited HA420 Hondajet. Both returned modest delivery figures for the quarter, but that is expected to grow quickly in the first quarter of 2016.

In all, 2015 shipments of GA aircraft were down 4.6% from 2014, something GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce attributed to factors in emerging world economies.

“The mixed 2015 year-end numbers among the various sectors reflect a market characterized by plummeting energy sector revenue, economic uncertainty, and currency fluctuations in key GA markets such as Brazil, Europe, Russia, and China,” he said.

“Given the relative strength of the North American GA market, it is particularly important that the US Congress proceed quickly to pass an FAA reauthorization bill that contains certification streamlining and other regulatory reforms that allow manufacturers and repair/overhaul organizations to deliver products more efficiently and make the FAA workforce more productive.

“In fact, with both the US and Europe looking to revise the rules governing their leading safety authorities, we are at a unique moment that brings with it opportunities and challenges in areas such as leveraging resources, certification efficiency, and better regulation for GA."

In all, there were 946 single-engine pistons, 110 multi-engine pistons, 437 single-engine turbo-props and 120 multi-engine turbo-props delivered for the year. Business jet shipments were down 9% with 654 deliveries for the year compared to 722 for 2014.

Major Aircraft Shipments