General Aviation Industry Skyrockets: $14.3B in Billings for First Half of 2026

Washington, D.C. — September 9, 2026 — The general aviation (GA) industry is experiencing a significant financial upswing. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) recently released its Second Quarter 2026 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report, which shows substantial year-over-year growth in most aircraft categories.

The report reveals that total GA airplane billings for the first half of 2026 reached a staggering $14.3 billion. This represents a 15.5% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Manufacturers shipped a combined total of 1,458 airplanes through Q2, marking a 1.7% increase from the previous year.

Leading the growth charge were business jets, with an 8.2% increase resulting in 383 units delivered. Turboprops also saw gains, with a 7.8% increase leading to 289 deliveries. However, piston airplanes were the only category to experience a decline, dropping 3.1% to 786 units.

Cirrus Aircraft emerged as the top GA airplane shipper, boasting 405 total shipments. This included 196 turbocharged SR22s and 57 SF50 Vision Jets. Textron Aviation followed in second place with 333 shipments, including 107 Skyhawk SPs. Piper rounded out the top three with 115 shipments.

In the rotorcraft sector, helicopter manufacturers reported 419 civil deliveries, a 4% increase from the first half of 2025. Airbus Helicopters led the segment with 142 units and $948.4 million in billings. Robinson Helicopter followed closely with 127 units delivered. Civil helicopter billings totaled $2.2 billion, marking a 7.2% increase year-over-year.

The full Q2 2026 report from GAMA is available at gama.aero.

Source: Skies Mag – GAMA Releases 2Q 2026 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report