Washington, DC — The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today released the second quarter 2015 general aviation aircraft shipment numbers. Industry airplane shipments fell 9.1 percent to 1,015 units for the first half of the year, and airplane billings declined 4.6 percent to $10.4 billion, compared to the same period a year ago. Rotorcraft shipments decreased, from 502 units to 447 units, and billings were down an estimated 16.8 percent to $1.9 billion for the first six months.

The number of piston airplanes delivered fell 11.8 percent, from 526 units to 464 units. Turboprop shipments also declined 9.9 percent to 246 airplanes. Business jet manufacturers shipped 305 airplanes compared to 318 airplanes last year, a drop of 4.1 percent. Piston rotorcraft declined to 130 shipments while turbine rotorcraft dropped from 358 units in 2014 to 317 units in 2015, an 11.5 percent decline. 

“While the second quarter generally improved over the first, our industry is still being buffeted by volatile global markets and contraction within the energy sector,” GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said. “Robust new product development continues in each of our member companies, accentuating the need for streamlined certification processes and efficient validation mechanisms between regulatory authorities. Finally, fair global competitiveness for all GAMA members rests on the need for a global level playing field. Therefore, Export-Import Bank reauthorization remains a key priority for manufacturers.”