Light-Sport FAA Registrations Continue to Rise

bydanjohnson

Monday, May 21, 2007 at 07:02 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The SLSA market is growing rapidly, with 92 new registrations bringing the total to 930 aircraft, an 11% increase in one month.
Competition has intensified significantly, with the number of certified LSA models jumping from 16 to 50, creating more choice for consumers but challenges for sellers.
Despite the crowded market and new entrants, the leading SLSA manufacturers, including Flight Design and American Legend, have largely retained their top market positions.

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In the last month, market shares didn’t change significantly with the Top Five retaining their positions even while additional newcomers entered the market. *Thanks to Jan Fridrich of the Czech LAA for help with the data collection.*

Based on FAA data* from early May, 92 new SLSA registrations brought total SLSA to 930 aircraft, up 11% in one month and up 46% since January 2007. *** For sellers in the market, it has become more crowded. Eighteen months ago the LSA community had certified 16 new models; now, we’re at 50. More choice is great for consumers but it’s challenging for sellers as many choices can slow the purchase decision and new players eat away at market leader shares. *** Despite that observation, the big sellers remain on top. Flight Design retains its leadership position, as does U.S. builder, American Legend (chart). Evektor (#3) and TL Ultralight (#4) held their positions while Tecnam and Fantasy Air moved up one. Some shuffling occurred below the Top Five with U.S. producers AMD and CubCrafters generating more registrations. Jabiru USA moved up a notch and Aeropro and Remos made the top ten…albeit because of two ties. * FAA registrations do not precisely equal customer deliveries.