General Aviation Industry Soars: H1 2026 Billings Reach $14.3B
The general aviation industry has showcased robust financial performance in the first half of 2026. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), there has been a substantial increase in aircraft shipments and overall billing values. These figures are detailed in the recently published Second Quarter 2026 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report.
In the first two quarters, total GA airplane shipments hit 1,458 aircraft — marking a 1.7% increase from the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, airplane billings experienced a 15.5% year-over-year surge, amounting to an industry-leading $14.3 billion. Leading the pack were business jets with an 8.2% increase to 383 units, followed by turboprop deliveries that climbed 7.8% to 289 aircraft. However, piston airplane shipments saw a slight decline of 3.1%, dropping to 786 units.
Turning to the rotorcraft sector, civil helicopter deliveries rose 4% compared to the first half of 2025. Piston helicopter shipments were up by 5.8% (110 units), and turbine helicopters increased by 3.3% (309 units). These figures resulted in combined helicopter billings of $2.2 billion.
Cirrus Aircraft led all GA airplane manufacturers with 405 shipments through June, including 196 turbocharged SR22s. Textron Aviation followed closely with 333 shipments. In the rotorcraft segment, Airbus Helicopters topped the charts with 142 units and $948.4 million in billings.
Source: AVweb – Business Jets, Turboprops Lift Q2 GA Shipments