Cirrus shines in otherwise Flat Q3

Cirrus Aircraft's delivery performance for the period July-September 2021 was the highlight of an otherwise flat third quarter for general aviation.

Figures released overnight by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) showed that piston-engined shipment figures were down 16% on the same quarter in 2020, whereas turbo-prop deliveries compensated with an increase of 33% for the same periods.

GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce pointed out that shipments had been hampered by a lack of materials and manufacturing staff, but demand for GA aircraft was still strong.

"The general aviation manufacturing industry has shown perseverance with continued growth, all while still navigating pandemic-related setbacks, including ongoing supply chain and workforce challenges," he said.

"Despite the constraints imposed by shortages of parts and people, our manufacturers and maintenance providers are working hard to meet the growing demand for both new and used aircraft, which we obviously welcome and embrace."

Reported shipments from Textron Aviation and Piper revealed the C172SP was down 55% on Q3 2020, the C182T down 18% and Piper's Archer III down 20%, although the Archer returns may be diluted by the entry to the market of the Pilot 100. Diamond Aircraft recorded flat figures for the DA40.

Conversely, Duluth-based Cirrus had a strong quarter, showing a 42% increase in shipments for the SR20, a 15% increase for the SR22/T and a 44% increase for the SF50 Vision Jet. The 23 SF50s sent to customers was enough for the Cirrus to top the tables in the single-pilot jet category.

New continued to dominate old in the twin-engine market, with the best figures coming from Diamond's DA42 (seven shipments – down 65%) and Tecnam's P2006T (six). The mature metal airframes of the Beechcraft Baron and Piper Seneca proved unpopular with no shipments of either in the quarter and Piper sold just two Seminoles.

Single-engined turbo-props generally had a good quarter with Pilatus' PC-12 leading the way with 23 deliveries, a 16% increase over Q3 2020 and the Cessna Caravan series doubling their 2020 result to 16 airframes shipped. Piper's Meridian was up by two airframes and Epic's type-certified E1000 GX entered the fray with five aircraft delivered.

Major Aircraft Shipments for Q3 2021