FAA GA Survey: Fleet Shrinking, but Long-term Growth Expected
The number of active GA aircraft declined by 6.4 percent, to 209,034 from 223,370 in 2012, the last year for which information is available.
Upgrading aircraft to meet new mandates and prepare for NextGen represents an expensive proposition for operators. The NextGen GA Fund was established to make the process easier, offering low-interest loans to operators–large and small–of U.S.-registered aircraft to facilitate equipage.
Upgrading aircraft to meet new mandates and prepare for NextGen represents an expensive proposition for operators. The NextGen GA Fund was established to make the process easier, offering low-interest loans to operators–large and small–of U.S.-registered aircraft to facilitate equipage.

Between 2010 and 2012 the number of active GA aircraft declined by 6.4 percent, to 209,034 from 223,370, according to the 2012 General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey). But the FAA said that the 2012 GA Survey recorded the partial effect of the 2010 Rule for Re-Registration and Renewal of Aircraft Registration. According to the agency, the complete effect of this rule, which requires all aircraft registered in the U.S. to re-register within the three-year period from 2011 to 2013, will be noted after the 2013 survey.