GAMA Q2 Results Are Mixed for General Aviation

GAMA, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, released its Shipments and Billings data for the second quarter of 2026. The data show relatively flat performance for piston and turboprop aircraft, but a gain in business jet shipments and billings over 2025 during the first half of the year. The total number of General Aviation aircraft shipped through Q2 of 2026 totaled 1,458 aircraft, an increase of 26 over the comparable period last year. Single-engine piston deliveries dropped 3.1% from 732 last year to 709 this year. Multi-engine piston deliveries were essentially flat, at 77 deliveries versus 78 last year. Single-engine turboprops were also flat with 244 deliveries against 246 last year, but multi-engine turboprops had a resurgence after several years of decline, with the Cessna Sky Courier and King Air models regaining momentum, with 45 deliveries compared with 22 last year. Piston helicopters and turbine helicopters remained flat in the first half of the year, with piston models up 3.8% and turbine helicopters up 2.3%. Helicopter billings were up 7% year-over-year, reflecting an upward change in mix in addition to inflation. A summary of results by category follows: Source: GAMA Business Jet Market Share in 2026 Business Jet deliveries rose 9.9% to 383 aircraft in 2026, up from 354 last year. Those numbers include the Cirrus SF-50 personal jet, which accounted for 41% of year-over-year sector growth. Gulfstream overtook Textron for delivery market leadership for the first half with 79 versus 77 deliveries, with Embraer gaining ground with 74 deliveries. Source: GAMA The following pie chart shows market share by deliveries for the first half of 2026. The top five players in deliveries are Gulfstream, Textron, Embraer, Cirrus, and Bombardier, accounting for a combined 89.6% of the market. AirInsight Analysis The following table shows deliveries market share by company through the first half of 2026 and the first half of prior years shown. Data from 2019 are provided as a pre-pandemic reference. Source: GAMA GAMA Billings Data Tell A Different Story From a billings standpoint, Gulfstream remains the market leader for the first half of the year, followed by Bombardier, Textron, Embraer, and Dassault. Note that the Textron total for billings includes piston and turboprop models in addition to jets, overstating Textron’s results. The top five generated 88.9% of the industry's billings. First-half billings for the industry were up 16.9% year over year, a substantial increase. The high end of the market is doing well, while the low end appears to be struggling. Source: GAMA The breakdown of billings market share by business jet manufacturer (which includes all aircraft, including turboprops and pistons, for Pilatus, Textron, and Cirrus) is shown in the following chart: Data: GAMA The following table shows market share by billings for the first half of 2026 and the first half of prior years. We have included 2019 as the last year before the global pandemic for reference on the speed of the industry recovery. Source: AirInsight Analysis Market Trends Delivery trends are shifting, with Embraer, Cirrus, and Gulfstream showing strong performance while Bombardier, Honda, and Textron are trending downward. The following chart illustrates delivery market share for the second quarter from 2019 to 2025, and the trends are clear. Embraer has consistently grown, while Textron appears to be trending downward. Source: AirInsight Analysis Trends in General Aviation billings are also changing. Gulfstream and Bombardier remain the industry leaders in billings, given their high-end aircraft. Gulfstream has been on an upturn with its top-of-the-market jets, while Bombardier appears to be slipping slightly as their mix shifted thanks to major fractional orders for its less expensive super mid-sized jets. Embraer has essentially gained the industry market share formerly held by Hawker-Siddley as its Phenom and Praetor models continue to offer best-in-class performance and sales. AirInsight Analysis The Bottom Line General aviation remained flat year over year for pistons and turboprops, but grew just under 10% for business jets. The results show that Gulfstream and Embraer are market leaders in their segments and have grown in recent years, while Textron and Bombardier are currently on a downward trajectory for both shipments and billings. With 41% of the business jet growth accounted for by the Cirrus personal jet, the lowest-priced jet on the market, Gulfstream and Embraer account for 68.9% of the growth, offset by lower volumes at Bombardier and Textron, which lost market share year-over-year. Overall, the first half of the year was a good one for the business jet sector, but not for the piston and turboprop segment. While the resurgence in multi-engine turboprops is encouraging, the relatively new Cessna Sky Courier and the resurgence of the aging Beech King Air may reflect a short-term surge for Textron. Time will tell if the King Air recovery returns to the prior downward trend in twins in favor of single-engine turboprops, including the soon-to-be-introduced Beech Denali. With the K-shaped US economy, book-to-bill ratios for business jets remain above 1.0, particularly for top-of-the-market airplanes. The low end of the market may signal future economic volatility, as demand for piston and turboprop aircraft remains relatively flat. It will be interesting to see if these trends continue into the third and fourth quarters of 2026. Stay tuned.

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