GAMA: 2012 Another Flat Year for GA

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 11:50 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

General aviation airplane manufacturers experienced a "flat" year in 2012, with total billings and deliveries remaining largely consistent with 2011 figures.
Within the GA airplane segment, piston and business jet deliveries were flat or slightly down, while turboprop sales increased due to the first-time inclusion of certain agricultural airplanes.
Despite the stagnant numbers, the industry is undergoing significant new product development in anticipation of a market "resurgence" in the next few years, particularly in emerging markets.
For the first time, GAMA's report included helicopter deliveries, which showed strong growth with total billings up 21 percent in 2012.

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In an economic climate where “flat is the new up” for general aviation manufacturers, there was plenty of good news to report at GAMA’s annual state of the industry media briefing in Washington, D.C., this morning. You guessed it, 2012 was another flat year for makers of GA airplanes.

Total billings last year were nearly identical to 2011 figures, in fact, as GAMA-member companies delivered $18.9 billion worth of aircraft (versus $19 billion the year before) spanning sales of piston airplanes, turboprops and business jets.