A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

First-quarter business aircraft deliveries climbed across the board from a year ago, according to the latest report from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Total billings for airplanes soared by more than 25%, to $5.04 billion, while rotorcraft increased by 12.4%, to $770 million, versus first-quarter 2024.
Business jet deliveries rose by 11% year over year (YOY), totaling 141 in the quarter. Gulfstream saw the largest jump, with deliveries of its flagship G700 ramping up. In fact, the Savannah airframer handed over 50% more aircraft in the first quarter than it did a year ago, including nine more in its large-cabin range.
Embraer rose by 28%, with gains in its Phenom and Praetor 600 lines, while Bombardier exceeded its first-quarter 2024 Global deliveries by three, for a 15% increase.
Honda Aircraft doubled the number of HondaJet deliveries from a year ago to four in the first quarter, but Cirrus and Pilatus were both one unit off the pace set last year for their SF50 Vision Jet and PC-24 business jets, respectively.
Textron Aviation jet deliveries were down by nearly 14% from the 36 Citations handed over in the first three months of 2024, with Latitudes, Longitudes, CJ4s, and CJ3s seeing one- or two-unit decreases in the latest quarter. Dassault Aviation only reports delivery totals at mid-year and year-end.
In the bizliner class, Boeing had no BBJ deliveries in either the recent or year-ago first quarters, while Airbus shipped one ACJ in first-quarter 2024 and none in the first three months of this year.
<h2>Turboprops Soaring</h2>
The business turboprop segment, led by Textron Aviation, saw a strong first quarter in terms of deliveries. The Wichita-based OEM more than doubled its output of Grand Caravans from 10 in first-quarter 2024 to 21 in the same period this year. It was followed by Piper, which, with the certification of its M700 Fury last year, saw its YOY deliveries improve from three turboprop singles in early 2024 to 10 in the most recent first quarter.
Epic Aircraft&nbsp;doubled the number of its E1000GX singles it handed over in the first quarter to six, while Pilatus bested its first-quarter 2024 total for PC-12s by three, to 11.
Daher delivered just one Kodiak utility aircraft (a Model 900) in the first three months, compared with five in the same span last year, while it increased the total of TBM 960 deliveries from eight to 11 in the most recent first quarter.
Piaggio delivered one of its Avanti Evo pusher-twins this year after handing over none in the first quarter of last year.
Piston aircraft deliveries rose by nearly 20% to 353 units in the first quarter.
<h2>Helos on Course</h2>
Turbine rotorcraft deliveries remained nearly static overall, with just a two-unit difference YOY. Bell increased deliveries on its light single 407GXi from four to 11 in the first three months of this year, finishing the quarter with a 61% increase compared to last year’s first quarter.
Airbus Helicopters saw no change in the 48 helicopters it handed in both first-quarter 2024 and first-quarter 2025, while Leonardo had a slight decrease from 29 deliveries in the first three months of 2024 to 27 this year. The Italian manufacturer saw its biggest change in the twin-engine midsize AW169, delivering four fewer in Q1 this year than it did in the same span in 2024.
Robinson Helicopters handed over six fewer of its R66s this year than it did January through March of 2024, while Enstrom, which delivered a pair of its 480Bs in Q1 2024, did not have any turbine helicopter deliveries in the same span this year.
Sikorsky delivered a large-cabin S-92 in the first quarter of this year, after having had no deliveries to open 2024.
“It is encouraging to see a strong first quarter for the general aviation manufacturing sector,” GAMA president and CEO James Viola told AIN. Speaking of the first quarterly industry report since being handed the reins by long-time GAMA head Pete Bunce, who retired in April, he added, “There is some uncertainty that lies ahead for the sector, especially as it pertains to tariffs. It will be important that we work together to face these challenges by showing the importance of the industry and the strong economic growth and opportunities we deliver.”

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

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2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

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News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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