Cirrus Aircraft’s SR22T was the most delivered GA aircraft in 2024.
It’s fitting that the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released its 2024 billing and shipments data right before we finalized this issue, which contains our popular Purchase Planning Handbook.
The biggest takeaways from the 2024 data include that the industry delivered more than $30 billion in general aviation aircraft, the first time since 2014, and for the second year in a row, the industry delivered more than 4,000 aircraft, said Henry Brooks, GAMA’s chairman and president of Power & Controls for Collins Aerospace. Given continued supply chain problems throughout the world, this is no small feat.
Cirrus Aircraft delivered 364 SR22Ts, the most of any aircraft type, which represented nearly half of its 731 annual aircraft deliveries.
Piston aircraft showed the highest delivery rate increase, at 26.7%. The industry shipped 1,772 units in 2024 worth a combined $1.5 billion. North America made up 79% of that market, or about four out of every five aircraft.
While turboprop shipments dropped by 12 units from 2023 to 626, billings were up 2.4% to $2.4 billion. Once again, North America dominated with 54% of the market, followed by Latin America with 19% and Europe at 16%. Brooks pointed out this is the first time the Latin market eclipsed Europe—more on this later.
The business jet market shipped 4.7% more units (764) compared to 2023—but the billings climbed 15% to $22.8 billion. New deliveries included the Gulfstream 700, of which the OEM delivered 30 in 2024 (compared to its planned 50), but supply chain and engine delivery issues as well as highly customized interiors with new intricacies decreased projections. Business jets are sitting on a “book to bill ratio of over one,” Brooks said, so expect the strong backlog to keep new owners waiting a few years for a new jet.
Turbine helicopters continue to outsell pistons, but expect the light rotorcraft market to introduce innovations this year.
Even with all this good news, there are a few big clouds on the horizon. Despite that an Oxford Economics study commissioned by GAMA and the European Business Aviation Association shows that business aviation contributes 110 billion ($114 billion) to the European economy and employs about 440,000 people, “We are seeing policies that attack our sector” and egregious taxes, said Pete Bunce, GAMA’s president and CEO. He points to a new French law that has “the potential of charging every passenger on a business aviation aircraft, turboprop or jet, up to €2,100 per flight,” he said.
That points to advocacy. Associations on both sides of the Atlantic are talking about the importance of the sector with facts. General aviation and business aviation have been vital to delivering critical humanitarian support during recent hurricanes and floods. General aviation fixed- and rotory-wing aircraft also have been critical to fighting fires in Greece, Italy, Spain and the U.S.
The Oxford study, released Jan. 29, points out that projected European policies could “threaten about €120 billion of that economic input into the European economy and about 104,000 jobs,” Bunce noted.
And turning back to the aircraft delivery numbers, the portion of the global business jet fleet in Europe has steadily been falling since at least 2009, when Europe represented 26% of the fleet, then 20% in 2014, 14% in 2019 and only 13% in 2024, according to GAMA figures.
In the U.S., the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs and rapid changes to the government have created several unknowns across the manufacturing, regulatory and operations space. But, on Feb. 19, 33 industry stakeholder groups representing a broad portion of the aviation industry sent a unified letter to Congress urging that it modernize the U.S. air traffic control system—from equipment to controller hiring and training. This is a good example of industry advocacy.
Best wishes,
Lee Ann
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