In case you haven’t heard, it was a bad year for GA aircraft sales — that fact, courtesy of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s year-end roundup of red ink for 2002. In the midst of all the minus signs (like a $2 billion reduction in industry billings) GAMA CEO Ed Bolen did manage to find something nice to say: “However, on a positive note, business jet flight activity increased last year [and] we set a new safety record.” Unfortunately, shipments of all types of aircraft were down. Nowhere was the downturn felt more than in the turboprop market. Shipments were down 38.9 percent in the U.S. and 33.9 percent worldwide. In all other types, the reduction ranged between 11 and 13 percent. GAMA Chairman Bill Boisture, president of Gulfstream Aerospace, also gave it his best shot. “Although the numbers are down, this is not the biggest one-year decrease our industry has ever experienced,” he said, not mentioning the previous record. He said cost-cutting, better customer support and increasing the utility of aircraft will help get things rolling again.
NOTE: Read the full text of the GAMA news release, available in Adobe’s Portable Document Format.
GAMA Puts On Brave Face
Key Takeaways:
- General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reported a significant downturn in general aviation aircraft sales for 2002, including a $2 billion reduction in industry billings.
- The turboprop market experienced the most severe decline, with shipments down almost 39% in the U.S. and 34% worldwide, while other aircraft types saw 11-13% reductions.
- Despite the overall decline, positive notes included an increase in business jet flight activity and the establishment of a new safety record.
- GAMA leaders proposed strategies for recovery, focusing on cost-cutting, improved customer support, and increasing aircraft utility.
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