Shipment totals are an easy way to judge the health of an industry, and recent years have produced figures that suggest a stable and active market. But the tone of discussion among manufacturers and suppliers suggests that more consequential issues sit behind those numbers and could shift things in future years.
At the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) State of the Industry press conference yesterday, the conversation was very positive, but repeatedly returned to the systems that enable production and operations. Workforce development, certification timelines, supply chain reliability and airspace modernization kept coming up as factors that shaped how leaders described both current GA conditions and future priorities.
Workforce pressures are shaping production
During the GAMA panel discussion, executives described hiring and training as some of the industry’s primary constraints right now, particularly in specialized trades tied to manufacturing and maintenance. They said they’ve found that interest in aviation careers remains strong, but the time required to train and retain skilled workers continues to affect output.
“It’s true, supply chains seem a little more fragile than they did a few years ago. When you trace that problem upstream, sometimes it’s a technical problem, but often it comes down to a workforce or labor problem,” said GAMA Chairman and Textron Aviation President and CEO Ron Draper.
That dynamic reflects broader demographic shifts across technical professions. Retirements have accelerated in many areas, and companies are increasingly starting to invest in apprenticeship programs, internships and partnerships with educational institutions in an effort to build long-term pipelines rather than rely on short-term hiring.
Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher, said apprenticeship pathways are one of the most consistent sources of future employees. “Anytime that we have an exposure with a young individual, we have a chance to allow them to develop a career with us,” he said.
Although panel speakers carried an optimistic tone, there is reason to believe staffing shortages could grow over time, especially as companies try to fill the shoes of their more experienced employees who are retiring. A recent report published by the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) found a growing aviation maintenance shortage in 2025 despite relatively stable certificate issuance. TBX’s State of GA Maintenance Annual Survey, meanwhile, found that two-thirds of respondents currently in the GA industry reported rising costs and supply chain issues, alongside a large percentage concerned about staffing and training shortages.
Supply chain issues and staffing issues are, of course, often quite intertwined.
Recruitment alone, however, does not resolve the issue. Training timelines, mentorship and the transfer of experience remain central to how quickly new hires can support production and operations.
Certification and modernization are pacing technology
While workforce challenges affect day-to-day manufacturing, certification capacity is influencing how quickly new technology reaches the GA market in the first place. Aircraft systems continue to evolve rapidly, particularly in avionics, automation and safety features, but regulatory processes must adapt to that pace.
“We have a ton of technology that all of us in general aviation are trying to introduce into the market … to make aircraft safer, better,” said Teri Short, vice president of flight operations and engineering for Airbus Helicopters in the U.S. “For those resources to scale with the way technology is moving … that is one of the biggest challenges.”
As aircraft become more complex and more novel technologies enter the market, approval timelines and coordination across regulatory bodies play a larger role in determining when innovations enter service. While this has always been true, participants noted and increased pace of development that current certification and regulatory processes cannot necessarily keep up with.
Airspace modernization represents a related effort. Data-sharing tools, cockpit situational awareness systems and digital communications are increasingly available, and operators have shown a willingness to adopt them when they see clear operational benefits.
“When we have the data and we can do something with it, industry wants to take advantage of it,” said Phillip Straub, executive vice president and managing director of aviation at Garmin.
The challenge, as described by panelists, lies in integrating those capabilities consistently across the broader system rather than within individual aircraft alone.
Fleet composition is shifting over time
Long-term projections indicate that the GA fleet will continue to evolve, even if overall activity appears steady from year to year. Growth is expected to be concentrated in turbine aircraft and rotorcraft, while parts of the piston segment face gradual declines.
The FAA projects the active general aviation fleet will increase over the next two decades, with turbine aircraft expected to account for much of that expansion. During the same period, portions of the piston fleet are forecast to contract.
That transition has implications beyond fleet size. Training requirements, maintenance practices and operational planning all shift as aircraft mix changes, and those adjustments tend to unfold gradually rather than through sudden changes in delivery totals.
The systems behind the numbers
Manufacturers on the GAMA panel said current demand is steady, supported by multi-year backlogs. Even so, they pointed to the systematic aspects of the industry that continually influence production and operations. Supply chains must be constantly coordinated, certification workloads remain significant and workforce development continues to demand sustained investment.
“The industry feels very healthy,” Draper said.
That may be true for the moment, but things are always shifting. Maintaining that position depends on how effectively those supporting systems evolve. The pace of technology development, the availability of trained personnel and the progress of airspace modernization all play a role in determining how smoothly aircraft move from design to delivery and into service.
There is certainly reason to have a positive outlook, but much work remains to be done to stay on that trajectory.
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