24 | Flight International | 17-23 February 2015 flightglobal.com
BUSINESS AVIATION
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in-depth analysis from the business
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D
eliveries of business and
general aviation aircraft
continued their resurgence last
year thanks to rising demand for
midsize jets and piston-engined
types, according to the latest
statistics from the General Avia-
tion Manufacturers Association
(GAMA), released on 11 February.
Worldwide shipments between
January and December rose by
over 4% to 2,454 units, compared
with 2,353 units in 2013. Last
year’s deliveries also yielded a
$24.5 billion book value versus
$23.4 billion in 2013 – and the
second-largest billings tally since
2008, when it hit $24.8 billion.
The piston-engined sector was
the top performer. Thanks to the
growing global market for flight
training piston aircraft, ship-
ments were propelled from 1,030
units in 2013 to 1,129 units last
year – the highest level since
2011 – with all the major airfram-
ers recording a hike in deliveries.
Business jets also fared well.
Deliveries climbed from 678 air-
craft in 2013 to 722 units between
January and December 2014 – a
hike of 6.5%. Although this is
well below the 1,145 shipments
recorded during the market’s 2008
peak, the midsize sector recorded
its strongest growth for five years.UPGRADES
Deliveries of both midsize and su-
per-midsize business jets climbed
from 140 units in 2013 to 159 last
year. This was due in part to the
introduction of a slew of new and
upgraded models throughout
2014 – notably the Embraer
Legacy 500, the Bombardier
Challenger 350 and the Cessna
Citation X+ – and a surge in de-SHIPMENTS KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Midsize jet demand helps power recovery
A strengthening US economy and new aircraft models boosted deliveries last year – but long-range models saw 10% drop
Cessna
Cessna’s Citation X+ is one of the upgraded business jets that registered improved sales in 2014, manufacturer’s association saysSOURCE: GAMANumber of aircraftANNUAL BUSINESS JET, TURBOPROP AND PISTON AIRCRAFT
SHIPMENTS 2008-201405001,0001,5002,0002,5002008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014Jets Turboprops Pistonmand for these transcontinental
types, particularly in the USA, the
largest business aircraft market.
The strengthening US economy
coupled with the introduction of
fresh designs such as the Citation
M2 also helped the light business
jet sector to record its strongest
growth since 2009. Deliveries of
both superlight and light jets
climbed from 185 in 2013 to 220
last year – a 19% hike.
With the service entry of a num-
ber of much-anticipated aircraft
expected this year – the HondaJet,
the SyberJet SJ30, the Citation
Latitude and the Embraer Legacy
450 – this sector will be hoping to
sustain the positive growth trend.
“Light and midsize business jet
owners are now feeling more con-
fident in business aviation’s recov-
ery, surpassing the sentiment of
large jet owners for the first time
in several years,” says aviation
analyst Rolland Vincent.
The other end of the spectrum,
however, did not fare as well.
After a banner year in 2013, large-
cabin, long-range shipments fell
by over 10% to 269. This tally is
still the second-highest on record
for the sector, but airframers have
been hit by the waning appetite
for big, long-legged business jets
from the previously lucrative Chi-
nese and Russian markets.
Dassault, for example, saw
shipments of its 7X fall from 33 in
2013 to 27 last year. Gulfstreamshipped 117 large-cabin, long-
range business jets in 2014, in-
cluding the first G650ER, versus
121 in 2013. Shipments of
Embraer’s Legacy 600/650 and
Lineage 1000 fell by four units to
25 in the same period.
Bombardier, in contrast, saw
deliveries of its Challenger 605
and Global family nudge forward
from 94 in 2013 to 96 last year.VARIANTS
The turboprop sector will be hop-
ing for a recovery this year after
experiencing its first annual fall
in shipments since 2009. Deliver-
ies of single- and twin-engined
designs fell from 645 units in
2013 to 603 units last year. This
6.5% decline, however, is almost
entirely due to the fall in sales of
agricultural variants.
Thrush Aircraft, for example,
saw deliveries of its S2R series
fall from 174 units in 2013 to 146
last year. Air Tractor too recorded
a drop in shipments of its AT-
family from 51 to 36 aircraft dur-
ing the same time frame.
If the agricultural segment is ex-
cluded, the core business turbo-
prop market has remained flat, al-
though the introduction of new
and upgraded models has helped
to stimulate sales. For example,
following the introduction of the
TBM 900 in January 2014, Daher-
Socata saw its annual shipment
tally jump from 40 to 51 aircraft. ■