Well, 2024 is off to a flying start—at least for the business jet industry! According to GAMA’s second-quarter 2024 report, business jet deliveries climbed nearly 9% year-over-year (YOY) in the first half of the year, with total airplane billings skyrocketing by more than 24% to $11.3 billion. That’s a whole lot of shiny new jets in the skies!
Leading the pack is Gulfstream Aerospace, which saw deliveries shoot up by more than 35% YOY, thanks to its popular large-cabin jets. Gulfstream even rolled out 17 more twinjets than last year, all while ramping up on its ultra-long-range G700. Dassault wasn’t far behind, boasting a 33.3% boost with three more Falcons flying out the door.
Meanwhile, Bombardier saw a 16% bump, handing over nine more Challengers, and Embraer increased its Phenom 300 deliveries by 10 units. On the flip side, Honda Aircraft had a bit of a hiccup, dropping from 10 deliveries last year to just four in 2024. Better luck next half, Honda!
For the bizliner crowd, Airbus and Boeing came in strong, each handing over one of their prized ACJ320Neo and BBJ 737-8 models, after a quiet first half last year.
Piston airplanes also joined the party with a 7.3% rise in deliveries, but the turboprop sector took a slight dip, down 3.4%, though the high-end models held their ground with only a 2.7% slip. Props to Epic Aircraft, which nearly doubled deliveries of its E1000GX!
Over in rotorcraft land, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Turbine helicopter deliveries took a hit, falling by 7.7%, dragging rotorcraft billings down by $200 million compared to last year. But on the bright side, piston helicopters saw a small 2.7% gain, and Robinson had a stellar first half, cranking out 170 helicopters, with a seven-unit boost in the popular R66 turbine.
Airbus Helicopters faced a bit of turbulence, delivering 19 fewer helicopters compared to last year, though they did double deliveries of their H160. Bell handed over three fewer 429s, and Leonardo saw a slight dip with seven fewer AW119s. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom—Guimbal and Enstrom both upped their deliveries, with Enstrom managing two whole helicopters (hey, every bit counts!).
As for MD Helicopters and Sikorsky, they both opted for a quiet year, with zero deliveries in the first half of 2024. Maybe they’re just saving up for a big second half?
GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce summed it up: “There’s clearly strong demand for new aircraft, as evidenced by the big backlogs and expansion plans. The real challenge remains those pesky supply chain issues and slow responses from the FAA.” Sounds like the industry is soaring, but a few things on the ground need a little extra attention.
All in all, 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year in aviation—just watch out for a few bumps along the way!
(Source: ainonline.com)
