Turboprops: Power Up

Incredible capability and efficiency make the category shine.

Julie Boatman

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

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

Key Takeaways:

The turboprop market is robust, with increased deliveries of both single and multi-engine aircraft in 2022, though OEMs continue to face significant supply chain challenges that impact production.
Key single-engine turboprop manufacturers like Daher, Piper, Epic, and Pilatus are experiencing high demand, introducing new models and updates while grappling with delivery hurdles.
In the multi-engine sector, Textron Aviation has advanced its offerings with new Beechcraft King Air models and the Cessna SkyCourier, which has begun deliveries to cargo and regional airline customers.
The industry is heavily focused on future sustainability through the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and enhancing operational efficiency via advanced turboprop engine technology, such as the Pratt & Whitney PT6 series.

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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.