General Aviation Industry Sees a 15.5% Increase in Billings, Reaching $14.3B in H1 2026
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) recently released its Second Quarter 2026 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report. The report shows a strong financial performance for the sector, despite a slight decrease in piston aircraft deliveries. The first half of 2026 saw airplane billings skyrocket by 15.5% to $14.3 billion, compared to the same period in 2025. A total of 1,458 airplanes were shipped, marking a 1.7% increase year-over-year.
Notably, the growth was primarily driven by the premium segments. Business jet deliveries increased by 8.2% to 383 aircraft, while turboprop shipments rose by 7.8% to 289 units. However, piston airplane deliveries saw a 3.1% decline, totaling 786 aircraft.
Among the top manufacturers, Gulfstream led the business jet deliveries with 79 aircraft. They were closely followed by Embraer with 74 and Bombardier with 56. In the piston category, Cirrus Aircraft took the lead with 405 total shipments, which included 196 turbocharged SR22s and 57 SF50 Vision Jets.
The rotorcraft market also showed promising results. Civil helicopter deliveries grew by 4% to 419 units, generating $2.2 billion in billings. Textron Aviation completed the list of top GA producers, shipping 333 aircraft, including 107 Cessna Skyhawk SPs.
The full Q2 2026 report by GAMA is available at gama.aero.
Source: Skies Magazine – GAMA Releases 2Q 2026 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report