General aviation manufacturers delivered a record number of aircraft in the first six months of 2006 as shipments rose across the board, from piston singles to business jets. Deliveries were up 19.1% from the same period in 2005, to 1,843 aircraft, says the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
The trend is expected to continue through this year, but GAMA is "monitoring the potential impact that rising fuel prices and interest rates" might have on the industry. Billings for the first six months were up almost 35% from 2005 at $8.8 billion.
Deliveries of business jets increased 27.7% to 415 aircraft, with Bombardier shipping 114 aircraft compared with 88 in the first half of last year. Turboprop deliveries were up 12.1%, to 158 aircraft, largely on higher Beechcraft King Air shipments.
Piston aircraft deliveries were up 17.4% to 1,270 aircraft, with Cirrus pushing shipments up to 341 from 295 a year earlier.
Source: Flight International