Business

  

Aviation billings up 16 percent

BY MOLLY MCMILLIN

The Wichita Eagle

Business jet and turboprop deliveries rose in the first quarter when compared to a year ago, but shipments of piston-powered aircraft fell significantly, according to figures released Thursday by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

Total first-quarter billings set a record, rising 16 percent to $5.3 billion.

GAMA president and chief executive Pete Bunce said in a statement that the continued expansion of worldwide markets has insulated manufacturers from the economic dynamics of any one region. But he said the uncertainty in the U.S. economy was to blame for the decline in the piston-engine market.

Planemakers delivered 399 piston-powered planes in the first three months of 2008, down from 554 a year ago.

Of those deliveries, 67 percent were to North American customers, making that segment "the most susceptible to softness in the U.S. economy," Bunce said.

Business jet deliveries, meanwhile, rose 41 percent to 297 from 211. Turboprop shipments increased 8 percent to 85 from 79 deliveries a year ago.

Overall, planemakers delivered 781 aircraft, down 8 percent from 844 a year ago.

Together, Wichita manufacturers Cessna Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft Corp. and Bombardier Learjet delivered 41 percent of all aircraft shipped.

The three planemakers delivered 320 planes, up from 312 for the same time a year ago.

Bombardier delivered 22 Learjets, up from 19 a year ago.

Hawker Beechcraft shipped 72 planes, down from 79 a year ago.

And Cessna delivered 226 planes, up from 214 a year ago.

Deliveries of Cessna 172, 182 and 206 piston-engine aircraft, however, fell 28 percent to 97 aircraft. That's down from 133 a year ago.

Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver said piston-engine deliveries were down because of a supplier issue, and system and pilot handbook changes that delayed some of the company's European deliveries.

Contributing: Jerry Siebenmark of The Eagle
Reach Molly McMillin at 316-269-6708 or mmcmillin@wichitaeagle.com.