Total general aviation aircraft billings increased by 3.2% to $4.7 billion year over year (YOY) in the first three months of 2024, while business jet deliveries rose by 8.5%, according to the first-quarter delivery report released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
Embraer’s plan to alleviate its normal end-of-year delivery rush looks to be paying early dividends, with the Brazilian airframer’s first-quarter deliveries up 125% from the first three months of 2023. It more than doubled the number of Phenom 300s it handed over in the quarter—from four to 10.
Gulfstream also saw a 14% YOY increase, delivering four more large-cabin jets in the first quarter than it did a year ago—despite deliveries of its long-anticipated new flagship G700 not commencing until April—while Textron Aviation remained virtually static, handing over one more business jet this year than it did in the first three months of 2023. The Wichita OEM nearly doubled the number of midsize Latitudes it produced, moving from seven in the first quarter of 2023 up to 13.
Cirrus Aircraft added two more SF50 Vision Jets than it did in Q12023, while Honda Aircraft tacked on another HondaJet.
While Bombardier handed over more of its Challenger-class aircraft in the first quarter than it did last year, it experienced a 9% decrease this year as its number of delivered Globals dipped from 14 to eight in the first quarter of 2024.
Pilatus had a slow start, handing over four fewer PC-24 light jets this year than it did in the same period a year ago.
Among the bizliners, Airbus delivered one ACJ this year after none in the first three months of 2023. Boeing had no deliveries in the first quarter of either year.
Dassault only reports its Falcon jet deliveries at mid-year and year-end.
Turboprops Down
Overall turboprop deliveries declined by 7.7% compared with last year, while the high-end turboprop segment saw a nearly 24% erosion.
Daher increased the number of TBM singles it delivered this year by three, while Epic logged an additional E1000GX from Q1 last year, but the rest of the pressurized-segment manufacturers saw decreases.
Textron Aviation experienced a 41% decrease among its turboprops, which include the King Air 260 and 360 twins, the Caravan and Grand Caravan, and the SkyCourier. Across all its turboprops, the company delivered 20 aircraft, compared with 34 a year ago. Pilatus slipped from 11 PC-12 singles in Q12023 to eight in the same period this year, and Piaggio Aerospace had no deliveries of its P.180 Avanti Evo twin in either year.
Rotorcraft Stalled
Helicopter deliveries were off by 12%, while those in the turbine segment were down by 14.5% for the first quarter of the year.
Airbus Helicopters had a nearly 30% YOY decline in deliveries for the first three months of this year, led by decreases in its light-single H125 and twin H135. Between the two, the European OEM delivered 17 fewer than it did a year ago. Bell handed over four fewer units this year than it did in the first quarter of 2023, with the deficit mainly in its 429 light-twin platform.
Leonardo remained virtually static, tacking on one more delivery this year, while Enstrom, which had no deliveries at all in 2023, handed over a pair of 480Bs in the first three months of this year.
California-based Robinson Helicopter improved on its Q12023 R66 deliveries by three, handing over 34 in the first quarter of this year, while Sikorsky—which had one S-92 delivery in the first three months of last year—had none this year. Likewise, MD Helicopters had three MD 530F deliveries a year ago, but none from January through March of 2024.
Piston-powered aircraft deliveries remained relatively static with less than a percentage point gain in 2024.
“While the first three months of the year produced a mixed report, the health of the industry remains solid with robust order backlogs across all segments,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “Our industry continues to be challenged by significant supply chain issues, through forgings and castings, to basic parts availability.” He noted that those effects are most evident in the engine sector.
“It is also encouraging for the industry to have a long-term authorization passed into law and the new leadership atop both the FAA and EASA working to strengthen the effectiveness of their lateral relations and work,” Bunce added. “These factors will help the industry move forward with new and enhanced technologies, products, and innovations.”