The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has released the industry's shipment and billings figures for first quarter 2011.
In the first three months of 2011, total GA aircraft shipments fell 4.6 per cent, from 390 units in 2010 to 372 units this year. Billings for GA aircraft totaled US$3.7 billion in the first three months, down nearly 20 per cent.
Piston-powered aircraft shipments totaled 188 units compared to 166 units delivered in the first three months of 2010, a 13.3 per cent increase, while turboprop shipments declined 6.7 per cent from 60 to 56 units in 2011. Business jet shipments totaled 128 units, a 22 per cent decrease over the 164 units delivered during this same period in 2010.
GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce says these figures are indicative of modest global recovery from the global financial crisis.
“This has been a very difficult year to date as a result of the slow economic recovery in North America and Europe,” Bunce said. “Emerging market deliveries continue to help sustain the industry.
“The bright spot in the first quarter is the piston segment. This good news may be indicative of the start of a recovery in the traditional markets.”
As was the trend throughout 2010, Cirrus lead the way with the two highest delivered individual models in the first quarter, delivery 35 and 22 of its SR22 and SR22T, respectively.
But not far behind was Cessna with its new C162 Skycatcher LSA. In results that suggest the manufacturer has smoothed out some of the delays that had hampered the production of its newest model, Cessna delivered 19 Skycatchers in the first three months of 2011. Austria’s Diamond Aircraft also delivered 19 examples of its light twin-engine DA42.
Cessna delivered the largest number of aircraft with 106, followed by Cirrus with 61, and Bombardier with 42. Here’s the rest of the aircraft delivery numbers by manufacturer:
- American Champion Aircraft: 13
- Diamond Aircraft: 37
- Embraer: 8
- GippsAero: 2
- Gulfstream: 24
- Hawker Beechcraft: 37
- Liberty Aerospace: 3
- Maule Air: 1
- Mooney Aircraft: 0
- Pacific Aerospace: 3
- Piaggio Aero: 1
- Pilatus: 8
- Piper Aircraft: 26
- Quest Aircraft: 2
- SOCATA: 5