Airplane shipments up from last year
November 13, 2012, 01:32 pm
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association recently released numbers for the general aviation industry's first nine months of shipping and billing in 2012. The association's data showed that airplane shipments increased by 4.2 percent in that period on a year-over-year comparison, while the value of airplane deliveries was up 1.4 percent over the same period of time.
“What we heard from our customers recently at AOPA’s Aviation Summit and NBAA’s convention indicate that purchase decisions continue to be delayed due to fiscal uncertainty in our North American and European markets,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA’s president and CEO. “Now that the U.S. election is behind us, we hope that legislators quickly act on the nation’s budget crisis so that individuals and businesses can begin to chart their own long range fiscal paths.”
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Aviation Summit recently took place in Palm Springs, California, on October 11 to 13. The event was a trade show and convention, featuring 400 booths, dozens of aircraft on display and nearly 100 hours of seminars.
Elsewhere, the National Business Aviation Association's 65th Annual Meeting and Convention was held November 1. More than 25,000 people were in attendance for the event from 87 countries and all 50 states. NBAA President Ed Bolen considered the event a success, falling just 1,000 people short when compared to last years attendance, even with Hurricane Sandy hitting the East Coast at the time of the event.
“Attendees and exhibitors at this year’s show have told us that it was a very strong event, despite its timing alongside Hurricane Sandy’s landfall on the East Coast, and a temporary flight restriction for the Orlando area late on Sunday evening and Monday morning before the show,” Bolen said. “We’re delighted that, especially given those challenges, convention participants reported strong traffic on the exhibit floor and at the aircraft static displays, along with a high level of enthusiasm among attendees.”
GAMA's report also showed that piston engine powered airplane shipments increased 3.5 percent to 597 over the first nine months of 2012, when compared to the same period of time last year. Turboprop planes saw 368 shipments compared to 333 a year ago, while there was one more business jet delivered in 2012 compared to 2011.
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