Report: GA Sales Continue To Drop

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In the first nine months of 2010, general aviation shipments were down 15 percent compared to the same time period last year, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported on Tuesday. Pete Bunce, GAMA president, said despite the decline from 1,588 units last year to 1,357 units this year, he believes the longer-term outlook for GA remains positive. “Our industry is coming off of a successful National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention and we are encouraged by the sales announcements and a more positive outlook overall as discretionary spending starts to pick back up on a global level,” he said. He added that GA manufacturers are continuing to invest in research and develop new products.”GA manufacturers are clearly looking toward the future and will be poised for a strong return when the economy fully recovers,” Bunce said.

The third-quarter report shows that piston-powered airplane shipments totaled634 units in the first nine months of 2010, compared to679 units delivered in the same period of 2009, a6.6 percent decrease. Turboprop shipments declined20.8 percent to232 units in 2010. Business jet shipments totaled491 units, a20.3 percent decrease over the616 units delivered during this same period in 2009. Individual manufacturers show a range of statistics. Cessna, for example, had delivered 512 aircraft by the third quarter last year, and only 347 in this year’s report. Cirrus, however, stayed virtually level, with 188 deliveries so far this year compared to 189 by this time last year. The full shipment report is available at GAMA’s web site.

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