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 experienced healthy growth in 2022, with both single-engine and multi-engine deliveries surpassing previous years due to strong post-pandemic demand.
Despite the robust market demand, manufacturers continue to face significant challenges from lingering supply chain issues, which are impacting production and delivery schedules.
New and updated models, such as Daher's Kodiak 900 and TBM 960, Piper M Class, Epic E1000 GX, and Textron Aviation's King Air and Cessna SkyCourier, are driving market activity.
Advancements in engine technology, like the Pratt & Whitney PT6E series with integrated electronic control systems, and the increasing focus on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) are crucial for improving efficiency and reaching environmental goals.

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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.