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 strong demand and growth in 2022, with increased deliveries for both single and multi-engine aircraft compared to previous years.
Despite the healthy market, manufacturers continue to face significant supply chain issues, which are impacting production and delaying deliveries of new and existing models.
Key OEMs introduced and delivered new aircraft, such as Daher's Kodiak 900 and TBM 960, Piper's M Class, Epic Aircraft's E1000 GX, and Textron Aviation's next-generation King Airs and Cessna SkyCourier.
The industry is advancing towards greater operational efficiency and sustainability through innovations like Pratt & Whitney's PT6E series engines with electronic controls and the increasing focus on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.