General aviation aircraft deliveries during the first three months of this year experienced another overall drop of 4.6 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010, while billings declined by nearly 20 percent to $3.7 billion, according to statistics released last month by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. The decline in deliveries was less than that between the first quarter of 2009 and 2010, which saw a drop of 15 percent. “This has been a difficult year to date as a result of the slow economic recovery in North America and Europe,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “Emerging market deliveries continue to help sustain the industry.”
One possible indicator of an industry rebound lies in the piston market, which showed signs of growth during the first quarter with a better than 13-percent increase in the number of deliveries over the same period last year. “This good news may be indicative of the start of a recovery in the traditional markets that we hope will accelerate with the 100-percent expensing tax provision in the U.S.,” said Bunce.
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