Early-year new aircraft shipments are down in 2016, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s latest report. For the first quarter of this year, total GA airplane shipments fell 3.7 percent compared to 2015, GAMA reported Friday (PDF).Piston aircraft remained relatively steady with 191 shipments for the first quarter of 2016, with 193 for the same period in 2015. Meanwhile, turboprops saw a 6.8 percent drop in the first quarter with 109 shipments, and business jet shipments fell 4.7 percent to 122 aircraft. While the decline in the airplane category isn’t as severe as the double-digit fall seen in early 2015, falling numbers in rotorcraft shipments persisted with an 18.9 percent decline, similar to numbers reported a year ago. Turbine rotorcraft took the biggest hit with a 27 percent drop in shipments, while the piston category remained unchanged with 60 units shipped.
GAMA said a soft global market is among the factors affecting shipments, while in the U.S., the industry awaits a boost from regulatory reforms including the FAA’s pending reauthorization bill. “Despite these headwinds, our industry continues to invest in research, development, and certification of more efficient and safe products. Therefore, actions taken by elected officials to stimulate R&D and improve regulatory efficiency have a far-reaching impact on the economy,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA president and CEO. “Next week, GAMA board members will be on Capitol Hill, pressing home the need for these changes with members of the U.S. Congress. We will be calling on them to move forward on bipartisan FAA reauthorization and appropriations legislation that expedites delivery of new products to market, better leverages industry and regulatory resources, and reduces costs to customers.”
