Piper Aircraft has reported healthy growth in sales numbers as the general aviation industry stabilises after two years of uncertainty.
In a statement released yesterday, Piper said that deliveries of aircraft in Q2 2023 was 14% up on the same period last year, with a revenue increase of 19%, pouring an extra $US9 million into the company coffers.
Piper has credited strong demand for the M600/500 turbo-prop, the M350 piston and the PA28 trainer range for the welcome result.
"The demand of our high-performance M-Class family, featuring the turbo-prop M600/SLS and M500 as well as the piston powered M350, is evident in our steady growth," said John Calcagno, Piper Aircraft President and CEO.
"While new deliveries continue to be strong in Q2 2022, near new, used model availability remains at record lows of about 2%. At the same time, Seminole, Archer and Pilot 100i sales increased 20% versus Q2 2022.
"We continue to see unprecedented demand for our robust trainers that are built for the rigours of real-world training environments, meeting the demands of world-class training academies all over the world.”
Piper has full order books for most of their range, with the M-Class retail backlog reaching well into 2024, and the trainer backlog extending to late 2025 or early 2026 depending on the model.
"This strong backlog is a testament to the trust that customers place in Piper's products and services, as well as the company's ability to consistently deliver its full line of general aviation aircraft despite a challenging supply chain environment," the company said.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is due to release the full shipment figures for Q2 2023 next week.