Private aircraft deliveries were a mixed bag in the third quarter according to statistics released this morning by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Through the first nine months of the year, business jet deliveries were up by 15.4 percent over the same period in 2018, with OEMs handing over 69 additional aircraft, buoying the total airplane billings to $14.8 billion, a 16 percent rise over the previous year.

All of the business jet airframers saw increases over 2018. Gulfstream had a 31 percent rise, boosted by deliveries of its new G500 and G600 large-cabin twinjets. In that segment alone, the Savannah OEM increased its output by more than 36 percent.

As it ramps up production of its new flagship Global 7500, Bombardier saw a 12-unit overall improvement, adding eight more Challengers models, for a year-over-year delivery increase of more than 15 percent.

Embraer also a positive swing of nearly 15 percent, mainly attributed to eight deliveries of the new Praetor 600 which commenced in the second quarter of 2019.

Cessna continued to boost its production of Latitudes, handing over five more in the first nine months of this year than it did last year. Overall the Wichita OEM improved its production by 10 jets, good for an 8 percent increase.

After finally reopening its order book for the versatile PC-24 earlier this year, Pilatus tripled its deliveries of the light jet from 9 to 27 over the first three quarters of 2018.

Honda Aircraft added four additional HondaJets to its delivery total during the first nine months of this year, for a total of 25 of the over-wing-engined light jets.

Dassault was not counted in this quarter as the French airframer only reports its deliveries at mid-year and year’s end.

Among the bizliner class aircraft, Airbus handed over three ACJs thus far in 2019, an improvement of two, while Boeing, which delivered five BBJs during the first three-quarters of 2018, has only delivered a lone BBJ 787-9 this year.

Turboprop Market Softens

In the turboprop sector results were down by 11.6 percent overall, while high-end pressurized turboprop deliveries were off by more than 8 percent year-over-year.

Beechcraft delivered seven fewer of its top-end King Air 350i/ER models, but that was offset by increases in its C90GTx and 250s, leaving the Textron brand with a 3.4 percent increase year-over-year. Pilatus remained static in its PC-12 deliveries, with 51 in the first nine months of both years, while Daher, Piaggio, and Piper all saw declines thus far in 2019, the latter off by 34 percent as its M600 deliveries declined from 24 to 7 through the first three quarters of the year.

At the lower end of the scale, piston-powered aircraft deliveries increased by 12.3 percent during the first nine months of 2019.

Helicopters Lagging

The rotorcraft sector continues to experience headwinds, with overall deliveries down more than 22 percent year-over-year. Turbine helicopters were off by 15.4 percent through September of 2019, moving from 513 handed over to customers in the first nine months of 2018 to 434 reported thus far this year, with all manufacturers showing declines. Total billings for the rotorcraft industry declined by 17.3 percent year-over-year, moving from $2.7 billion in the first three quarters of 2018 to $2.2 billion over the same span this year.

Handing over four fewer super-medium twin H175’s so far in 2019 than it did in the three quarters of last year, Airbus Helicopters tallied a 3.6 percent slide. Bell saw erosion in its 505 totals, handing over 26 fewer of the light single in the first nine months of 2019 than it did over the same period last year, figuring in the Textron subsidiary’s 14.4 decrease.

Leonardo experienced a more than 21 percent fall off from its pace last year. The Italian OEM saw erosion among its light helicopters, delivering 11 fewer year-over-year as well as its medium twin AW189/AW149, which moved from 13 deliveries in the first three quarters of 2018, to four in the following year.

Robinson Helicopter reported a nearly 32 percent dip in deliveries of its flagship R66, while Enstrom handed over one of its 480B-G’s after delivering five over the first nine months of 2018. Sikorsky made no deliveries in the first nine months of 2019.

“Despite these mixed results, our manufacturers continue their investments in advanced factory machinery, design software, and associated processes that keep product development cycles robust and in-turn bring advances in fuel efficiency, capability, and safety to the global fleet,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce.