Cirrus Aircraft said it delivered more airplanes in the fourth quarter of 2011 than any since 2008, handing the Duluth, Minnesota, manufacturer its strongest performance of the last 12 quarters and reason for optimism heading into 2012.
“Several factors came together in the fourth quarter to make it one of the strongest in recent memory,” said Todd Simmons, executive vice president at Cirrus Aircraft. “It’s a source of pride to the Cirrus team in Duluth, Grand Forks and around the globe that with each successive quarter we are creating a stronger and more durable aircraft business.”
Cirrus delivered 30 SR20s, 31 SR22s and 28 SR22Ts in the fourth quarter, adding more than $47 million in revenue to its bottom line. The Q4 numbers got a boost with the SR20s that were completed during Q3 2011 but with delivery taking place to the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) in Luoyang, China, in the fourth quarter.
Cirrus also reported that it increased its single-engine piston aircraft market share to 35 percent in 2011, an all-time high. For the year Cirrus delivered 255 SR22s and SR20s worth more than $150 million.
“Favorable depreciation rules in the U.S. unquestionably helped drive domestic sales in late 2011,” said Simmons. “In fact, U.S. deliveries exceeded our expectations by year end. Cirrus is also benefitting from growth in the institutional side of our business, as flight schools and governments from around the world are renewing their fleets with the most capable aircraft with the latest safety and cockpit technologies.”
Cirrus delivered the most Part 23 certified single-engine piston airplanes of any general aviation manufacturer last year. The SR22/SR22T family of aircraft has been the world’s best-selling four-place airplane for 10 years in a row.
