Turboprops: Power Up

Incredible capability and efficiency make the category shine.

Julie Boatman

Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Response to Daher's Kodiak 900 has been strong. [Credit: Jim Barrett]

Key Takeaways:

The turboprop market is experiencing healthy demand-driven growth, with single-engine and multi-engine deliveries increasing in 2022, though persistent global supply chain issues continue to restrict full production and delay deliveries.
Key manufacturers such as Daher, Piper, and Textron Aviation have introduced new or updated turboprop models, including the Kodiak 900, TBM 960, new King Air series, and the Cessna SkyCourier.
Technological advancements, particularly in Pratt & Whitney's PT6E series engines, are enhancing operational efficiency and data transparency through integrated electronic control systems.
The industry is actively pursuing sustainability by integrating advanced engine controls and exploring the strategic adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to achieve net-zero emissions.

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The turboprop market cruises along, still propelled by the surge in demand as the world worked its way through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and 2022—though numbers have drawn back slightly. That’s a scenario that’s OK for most OEMs that have struggled with lingering supply chain pain points.

In 2022, a total of 505 single-engine turboprops (SETs) were delivered, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), besting the 2021 and 2020 totals of 455 and 381, respectively. That’s a healthy market that should continue, even as pressure from the war in Ukraine continues in Europe with aftershocks globally. On the multiengine side, a total of 77 units went out the door in 2022, up from 72 in 2021, and 62 in 2020.