The general aviation market enters 2026 with momentum that appears strong but with a deep backlog that complicates the market. After navigating tariff whiplash and lingering supply chain disruptions in 2025, manufacturers remain cautiously optimistic.
To prepare FLYING’s 2026 general aviation market survey we reviewed quarterly sales data through 2025. Almost every aircraft manufacturer that reported sales sold more airplanes last year than in 2024, and billings were up substantially. In looking at GA sales, we view billings with caution because we recall in the mid-1980s when they were going up nicely as prices shot up while unit sales went through the floor. By 1986 it all came crashing down into a rather nasty general aviation slump.
