Story ID: 
AEA: Retrofits Driving Gains in Avionics Sales
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Avionics sales inched up 2.7 overall in the first half, with retrofits offsetting a 17.3 percent decline in forward-fit applications.
Word Count: 207
Business and general aviation avionics sales inched up 2.7 percent overall in the first half of this year to more than $1.145 billion, according to the latest Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) Avionics Market Report. But the improvement comes from gains in the retrofit market, which offset a decline in forward-fit applications. The total avionics sales compares with the $1.115 billion sold during the first six months of 2016, AEA said.

AEA reports net sales price for all business and general aviation electronics sales—including component, accessories and hardware—from participating manufacturers. The report does not include repairs, overhauls or warranty work.

In the first half, the retrofit market accounted for 56.2 percent of avionics sales, with forward-fit applications amounting to 43.8 percent. North America remained the dominant market, representing 70.6 percent of the sales. In the second quarter of 2017 alone, avionics sales improved 5.4 percent year-over-year globally, to $579 billion.

"It's encouraging to see a positive increase in year-over-year sales for two straight quarters, something we haven't experienced since 2014," said AEA president Paula Derks. "The retrofit market has seen the biggest growth in sales with a 26.3 percent increase compared to a year ago, which has helped offset a decline of 17.3 percent in forward-fit sales from this time in 2016."