Aircraft makers logged a 4.2-percent increase in deliveries through the third quarter this year over the same period in 2011, with the largest boost in turboprops. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association, which released third-quarter sales data on Nov. 7, believes that rate of climb in sales would increase if Congress and the newly reelected president can settle on a budget plan to keep the nation clear of the so-called fiscal cliff that looms in January.
“What we heard from our customers recently at AOPA’s summit and NBAA’s convention indicate that purchase decisions continue to be delayed due to fiscal uncertainty in our North American and European markets,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce in a news release. “Now that the U.S. election is behind us, we hope that legislators quickly act on the nation’s budget crisis so that individuals and businesses can begin to chart their own long range fiscal paths.”
Revenue climbed more slowly through the third quarter, up 1.4 percent to $12.3 billion. Turboprop deliveries increased 10.5 percent, outpacing the 3.5-percent increase in piston deliveries. The business jet market was nearly flat, with 428 worldwide deliveries compared to 427 through the first nine months of 2011.
“GAMA will continue to address important industry issues, such as the research and development tax credit, depreciation policy, user fees, NextGen and aircraft certification streamlining," Bunce said. “Additionally, GAMA will engage with global regulatory authorities to identify bureaucratic inefficiencies and unnecessary regulation that drive up costs, increase unemployment, and severely hamper our industry's recovery.”
