This Wednesday, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released its aircraft shipment and billings numbers for 2017, shedding some tentatively optimistic light on the current state of aircraft manufacturing. After a bit of a slow start at the beginning of the year, worldwide airplane shipments increased 2.5 percent over the course of 2017. However, due to the types of aircraft being sold, the actual dollar amount spent on new aircraft dropped from $21.1 billion to $20.2 billion.
After several years of declining sales, the rotorcraft segment saw a particularly good turn-around. 2017 yielded a 7.5 percent rise in overall deliveries and an amazing 17.9 percent increase in the number of piston rotorcraft sold. Bizjet and piston sales also improved from 2016, rising 1.3 and 6.5 percent respectively.
The only segment that dipped a little was turboprops, with 19 fewer aircraft shipped this year. That said, the light personal jet market is looking good. 23 HondaJets went out in 2016. 2017 nearly doubled that number with 43 aircraft shipped. Likewise, Cirrus delivered just 3 of its Vision Jets last year. The company sent 22 out into the world this year.
Learn more at GAMA.
