Worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales for 2014 were 4 percent higher than in 2013, according to the Aircraft Electronics Association, which released its 2014 year-end Avionics Market Report April 9 during the fifty-eighth annual AEA International Convention and Trade Show in Dallas.
Total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales for the year amounted to $2.5 billion, representing a 4-percent increase in sales compared to the previous year. Data was based on reports from the same 22 companies for both periods.
The dollar amount reported reflects net sales prices and includes all components, hardware, accessories, software upgrades, and portables for certified and noncertified aircraft. It does not include repairs, overhauls, extended warranty, or subscription services.
Of the more than $2.5 billion in total sales, 51.4 percent came from airframe manufacturer installations during original production. The retrofit market accounted for 48.6 percent, a slight increase from its 46-percent market share in 2013.
“The report indicates modest year-over-year growth in sales for the second straight year,” said AEA President Paula Derks. “This is only the third year of the report’s existence, but it is beginning to establish a solid baseline to better evaluate and compare data in the years ahead. Interestingly, the year-end report noted that more than 37 percent of avionics sales took place outside the United States and Canada, which is another indicator that the business and general aviation industry truly is an international market.”
GAMA President Pete Bunce joined Derks in announcing the numbers.
In April 2012, AEA formed an ad hoc committee of avionics manufacturer representatives to create a tool for strategic planning and examining market share. Their work led to the first Avionics Market Report, released in Las Vegas during March 2013.
Participating companies submit their sales figures to an independent third-party accounting firm. The companies currently participating include Aspen Avionics, BendixKing, FreeFlight Systems, Garmin, Honeywell Business and General Aviation, L-3 Aviation Products, Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, PS Engineering, Rockwell Collins, Sandia Aerospace, Shadin Avionics, and Trig Avionics.
