Although 2003 was the worst year in the last five for general aviation in terms of billings, it still ranked as the fifth best in the history of GA. In the coming years, emerging markets in Asia are expected to help bolster the sector.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association, meeting in Washington last week, said total industry billings were $9.99 billion, down 15.5% from the year before. Despite a drop of nearly 16% in GA billings, aircraft sales held steady at 2,686 units in 2003, a single aircraft less than the previous year.
The main constant in shipment numbers was the strength of the piston engined market, where strong fourth quarter shipments finished up 9.5% with a total of 1,896 aircraft.
GAMA chairman Clay Jones said general aviation will benefit from the push for economic development in emerging countries in the Asia-Pacific region, citing potential in China as a good example.
He said: "The Chinese government has said that it would like to promote the economic development of Western China. The problem they face is that Western China does not have a strong highway or railroad system. In this situation it makes sense for the Chinese to look to aviation for economic development.
"Building airports is faster and less expensive than developing extensive highway and rail systems, and the Chinese understand this.
The GAMA chairman said general aviation was not going to boom overnight in Asia, but it would grow and ultimately it would grow significantly.
"The benefits associated with general aviation are simply too great for countries like China to ignore."
Source: Flight Daily News
