During its third-quarter earnings conference call last Friday, Hawker Beechcraft had not much good news and more than a little bad news, including the announcement that it will suspend production of its Hawker 400XP for two years.
The Wichita OEM reported net sales for the third quarter ending September 30 of $594.7 million, a drop of $163 million compared with that period in 2009. The decrease was “largely attributable to lower aircraft deliveries in the company’s business and general aviation segment as a result of depressed demand across the general aviation market.”
Also in the quarter, Hawker delivered 36 jets and turboprops, compared with 55 in the same period last year. The total backlog of all aircraft was valued at $1.9 billion on September 30, versus $2.4 billion on June 27. This included 34.6 percent of orders that are expected to be delivered at least 12 months from now, as well as “significant” orders from the U.S. government.
