Deliveries of general aviation airplanes in the first quarter of this year were down by 15 percent compared to the same period last year, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported last week. Helicopter sales fell even more, with a drop of 18 percent. The numbers reflect difficulties with U.S. export rules, according to GAMA. “Our industry is focused on regaining momentum, but we need the U.S. Congress to be a strong partner and reauthorize the Export-Import Bank before the June 30 deadline,”said GAMA President Pete Bunce. “It is time to stop playing political games with industry jobs.”
The numbers (PDF) show that, while the GA industry has been gaining traction over the past few years, it faces “renewed headwinds” in several regions of the world, including Asia, parts of Europe, and Latin America, said Bunce.“Congress needs to move ahead and pass reauthorization [of the Export-Import Bank] quickly to ensure a level global playing field and provide needed stability in a difficult market,” he said. Deliveries of piston aircraft were down 20 percent from last year, while turboprops fell just 8 percent and business jets dropped by 13.6 percent. The sales trends were up overall in 2014.
