The 2017 GAMA statistics were recently released, showing the year end deliveries of all new aircraft. This is a closely watched number to gauge industry health. Overall, the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) delivered 15 private jets more than last year. This is an increase of a little over 1 percent.
The key item, however, was that two new light jet manufacturers, HondaJet and Cirrus, contributed 65 aircraft to this total, 22 from Cirrus and 43 form Honda. Without their contribution to the tally, 2017 would have seen a significant decline in deliveries compared to 2016 and would have been a worrying sign for the OEMs.
It is also significant to highlight that the light jet segment had previously been widely seen by the industry as being a shrinking segment that OEMs that lost much interest in as they chased larger aircraft deliveries. HondaJet and Cirrus both show that there is still a market for these aircraft, provided that the offering is innovative and presents good value to owners.
The Cirrus SF50 vision is a particularly new class of aircraft, the first commercially produced single engine jet to be certified and delivered. Importantly for the private jet industry, it is bringing in a new class of owner to the jet segment – the owner flown, predominantly former Cirrus SR22 owner. This is a large segment, and one that we are excited about entering the market. It has been a long time since a new type of buyer entering into a new segment has materialized.
We are hopeful that Honda and Cirrus both continue their recent successes and innovations to keep their deliveries numbers rising. The industry as a whole has a lot be grateful to them.
