The business jet industry continued to build on its delivery momentum from last year, according to first-quarter delivery statistics released today by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). OEMs handed over 154 business jets worldwide in the first three months, a 19.4-percent increase over the 129 delivered in the first quarter of last year.

All the major business jet manufacturers saw increases year-over-year, led by Embraer, whose 11 additional Phenom 300 deliveries helped the Brazilian airframer post a 67-percent increase. Gulfstream also made gains, shipping 10 more aircraft in the quarter versus a year ago, for a 34.5-percent increase.

With 40 aircraft delivered in the quarter, the pressurized turboprop segment saw a 23-percent decline from the 52 aircraft shipped in the same period last year, driven by a 35-percent drop-off in King Air deliveries (22 versus 34 last year) from Beechcraft, which was acquired by Cessna parent company Textron in mid-March.

“The general aviation manufacturing industry’s first-quarter numbers in 2014…are encouraging and show that we continue to climb our way out of the recession,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “But we remain a long way from being out of the woods.”