Business jet deliveries in the first nine months increased 10.1% year over year (YOY) while turboprops saw a slight decline, according to the third-quarter 2024 aircraft delivery report released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Overall airplane billings climbed by 20.5%, to $17.3 billion.

All of the major business jet OEMs saw improvement, led by Embraer, which ramped up its production by 30% YOY over the nine-month period with 86 units delivered. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer normally stacks its deliveries towards the fourth quarter but is taking steps to more evenly distribute its production throughout the year.

While Embraer handed over seven more light Phenom 300s this year than it did in 2023, production of its midsize Praetor 500s and super-midsize Praetor 600s exceeded the previous year’s by 11 units.

Gulfstream groups all of its large-cabin aircraft (G500, G600, G650ER, G700) into one category, and it delivered 19 more of them through the first nine months of this year than it did a year ago, against two fewer super-midsize G280s, for a more than 23% increase overall with 89 shipments. Rival Bombardier improved on the number of its Challengers (3500, 650) it handed over this year by six aircraft, and tacked on one of its Global family, giving it an 8.5% rise compared to third-quarter 2023 for a total of 99 deliveries.

Textron Aviation and Cirrus Aircraft were virtually static, each with one more delivery in the first nine months of 2024 than a year ago for a total of 119 Citations and 62 Vision Jets, respectively.

Handing over 31 of its light PC-24s in the first three quarters of the year put Pilatus Aircraft just one unit off the pace it set last year, while Honda Aircraft—with nine HondaJets to date this year—had a 25% decline from the dozen it delivered through the same period in 2023.

Dassault only reports its deliveries at mid-year and year-end. At the end of the second quarter, it had added 12 Falcon jets to the worldwide fleet.

Though it had two deliveries last year, Eclipse Aerospace did not have any through the first three quarters of 2024.

In the bizliner segment, Airbus had no ACJ deliveries through the first nine months of 2023 but this year it reported two. Boeing, with two BBJs handed over, doubled its tally from last year.

Turboprops Down and Up

While turboprops overall experienced a nearly 1% decline from a year ago, the high-end pressurized segment had four more deliveries this year than it did for the first three quarters of 2023, equating to a better-than-2% increase.

Epic Aircraft saw an epic rise through the first nine months of 2024, with the 18 single-engine E1000 GXs it handed over representing an 80% jump from a year ago.

With Piper Aircraft’s new top-of-the-line M700 Fury receiving FAA certification this past March, it replaced the M600 in the company’s lineup, accounting for 24 deliveries in the first nine months of 2024 versus 27 for the M600 in the same period last year. The Florida OEM delivered 36 turboprop singles, two more than last year.

Textron remained virtually static in its King Air line, handing over just one fewer of the twin-engine aircraft through the first nine months of this year than in 2023.

With 58 PC-12s delivered in the first three quarters of 2024, Pilatus Aircraft was off by eight units from its YOY tally, a decline of 12%.

Piaggio—which continues to operate in receivership as it awaits a new buyer—delivered two of its twin pusher P.180 Avanti Evo aircraft through September of this year, one more than it did in the same period last year.

Piston aircraft deliveries rose 7.5% compared to the first nine months of 2023.

Rotorcraft Steady

Total helicopter billings increased from $2.69 billion to $2.71 billion YOY as shipments this year were slightly above those in the first three quarters of 2023, buoyed by the turbine-powered segment, which saw a nearly 2% increase.

Bell noted an 18% increase YOY delivering 94 helicopters in the first nine months. The OEM added 18 light single-engine 505s to its total from the first three quarters of 2023.

Airbus Helicopters remained virtually static, with 184 deliveries through the first three quarters of 2024, just four off the pace it set last year.

Italian airframer Leonardo saw an 8% decrease from a year ago, with the decline most noticeable in its light-single AW119 family, which was 14 units off from its total through the third quarter of 2023.

Robinson Helicopter ramped up production of its light turbine R66, with 95 deliveries through the end of September representing a 19% increase from the same period a year ago.

After handing over five civil helicopters—including three medium-twin S76s—during the first three quarters of 2023, Sikorsky Aircraft had no deliveries to the civilian market through the first nine months of this year.

“The health of our industry remains stable, which allows our companies to invest in technology and innovation that drives improved safety and sustainability for all civil aviation sectors,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “With new sessions and assemblies of governments set to convene shortly in both the U.S. and Europe, GAMA will continue to make the case to government leaders about the essential nature of the general and business aviation industry.”