Monday 9th September – General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released its findings on the general aviation and private aviation markets for the first half of 2024. This period, which ended at the end of June, showed an increase in both general aviation aircraft and private aviation aircraft. This is compared to the first half of 2023.

The most significant increase year-over-year was found in the private aviation sector.

• Business jets saw 322 total deliveries in the first half of 2024 (this was an 8.8% increase year-over-year).
• Overall, the first half of 2024 saw 1,363 total private jets delivered (this was a 5.3% increase from the 1,295 that were delivered in the first half of 2023).
• Total airplane billings increased by more than 24%, to $11.3 billion.

1,363 private jets were delivered over the first half of 2024

The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GAMA, Pete Bunce, spoke about the demand changes in a statement. “Through the first half of 2024, we continue to see robust demand for new aircraft, as indicated by the impressive backlogs and plans for facility expansion by many of our OEMs.”

Bunce also mentioned several recurring themes for many aircraft manufacturers. He mentioned that ongoing industry constraints include ongoing supply chain issues and workforce turnover. These issues can compound and cause lasting issues for original equipment manufacturers (OEM).

Among the jet manufacturers, Gulfstream Aerospace saw the largest improvement overall. Deliveries from the Savannah, Georgia-based airframer increased by more than 35% YOY, led by its large-cabin segment that handed over 52 twinjets in the first half of 2024, 17 more than a year ago. This came as Gulfstream began to ramp up on its recently certified ultra-long-range G700.

Gulfstream deliveries increased by more than 35%

Dassault—which does not specify deliveries among its models—delivered three more Falcon jets this year, equating to a 33.3% boost of its first-half 2023 tally.

Bombardier experienced a nearly 16% bump YOY, handing over nine more Challengers against one fewer Global. Embraer Executive Jets delivered 45 aircraft in the first six months, an increase of seven units from a year ago. It handed over 10 more of its Phenom 300 light jets in the period versus a year ago. Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft handed over 18 PC-24s in the first half, unchanged from last year.

Meanwhile, Textron Aviation delivered one fewer Cessna Citation—79 this year versus 80 in the first half of 2023—with minor decreases across all models except the Latitude and Longitude. Cirrus also delivered 43 SF50 Vision Jets, one fewer than in the first half of last year.

Honda Aircraft had the largest year-over-year erosion, moving from 10 deliveries in the first half of 2023 to just four this year. Eclipse Aerospace, which shipped two EA-550 very light jets in the half of 2023, had none this year.

Honda Aircraft delivered only four

That was reversed by Airbus and Boeing in the bizliner class. Neither manufacturer had a delivery in the first half of last year, but they handed over an ACJ320Neo and a BBJ 737-8, respectively, in the first six months this year.

Piston airplane deliveries also showed a year-over-year gain of 7.3%, with 761 aircraft shipped in the first half.

But the news wasn’t all positive for propeller airplanes. The turboprop segment saw 10 fewer deliveries this year, a decline of 3.4%, while the higher-end pressurized subset fared slightly better, with its 109 deliveries representing a 2.7% fall off from last year.

Epic Aircraft nearly doubled the number of its single-engine E1000GX, with its 11 deliveries equating to a better-than-83% rise YOY.

Daher boosted its output of TBM 960s, adding six of the aircraft to its total from first-half 2023 against one fewer TBM 910. Textron had a nearly 17% improvement in deliveries in its King Air family, almost doubling the amount of King Air 360s handed over for the first half.

As it ramps up the deliveries of its new flagship M700 Fury, Piper Aircraft’s delivery total dipped from 22—including 18 M600s—in the first six months of 2023, to just 13 in the same period this year. While the number of M600s handed over in the first half of this year dropped to two, the OEM delivered its first seven M700s.

Piper Aircraft’s delivery total dipped from 22 to 13

Normally very consistent in its delivery numbers, Pilatus was off by eight PC-12s YOY, a more than 20% decrease from its first-half 2023 total. Fellow European airframer Piaggio had no deliveries of its Avanti Evo turboprop twin in the first six months of either year.

The results also were mixed in the rotorcraft segment with the decline in overall shipments driven by a slide in turbine deliveries from 339 in the first half of 2023 to 313 this year. That drove down billings by $200 million in the first half, from $1.9 billion a year ago to $1.7 billion through the first six months of the year. However, piston helicopter deliveries ticked up by 2.7% to 115, marking an improvement of three. In all, rotorcraft OEMs handed over 428 helicopters in the first half.

Airbus Helicopters saw its deliveries dip by 19 units to 119 in the first half with H125 shipments off by 12 to 47 and H145 shipments dipping by four to 25. Airbus doubled its deliveries of the H160 medium-utility model to six, but also halved its shipments of its heavy-lift H225 to three.

Airbus delivery doubled of its H160

Bell further reported a seven-unit drop in deliveries to 50, with a slight decline across all of its models, most notably handing over three fewer 429 light twins in the first half for a total of four. Leonardo also saw its deliveries dip in the first half by five units to 74 in the first six months of 2024. The Italian manufacturer handed over seven fewer of its light single-engine AW119 in the first half for a total of 26 and deliveries of its AW169 medium twin dropped by six units to 10.

Robinson deliveries, however, improved by nine units in the first half for a total of 170, largely thanks to the seven-unit increase in deliveries of its R66 single turbine to 69.

MD Helicopters delivered three aircraft in the first six months of 2023 but none this year, Guimbal shipments improved by one to seven, and Enstrom delivered two in the first half versus none at the same time last year. Sikorsky, conversely, delivered no helicopters this year versus a sole S-92 medium lift model last year, and Schweizer delivered one S300C this year compared with none last year.

“Through the first half of 2024, we continue to see robust demand for new aircraft, as indicated by the impressive backlogs and plans for facility expansion by many of our OEMs,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “Our constraints continue to be ongoing supply chain and workforce recapitalisation issues, which are routinely compounded by unacceptable turn times in terms of responsiveness and lack of decision-making by the FAA specialists on such things as issue papers, certification plans, and regular correspondence.”