General Aviation Industry Flying High Surge In Sales Of Business Jets Pushes Billings To Record High

It’s beginning to look like 1997 will be a very good year in the general aviation industry, quite possibly the best in more than a decade.

General aviation aircraft manufacturers said that the first three months of 1997 had produced their strongest first quarter ever, with a surge in business jet sales pushing industry billings to a record $886 million.

Total aircraft shipments were up slightly, 237 vs. 225 a year ago, but billings were up 57 percent over the first three months of 1996.

Manufacturers delivered 63 business jets in the quarter, a 40 percent increase from 1996. All told, 39 turboprops were delivered, a 33 percent drop from a year ago.

Two of the three Wichita-based manufacturers, Cessna Aircraft Co. and Learjet Inc., reported increased plane deliveries and billings.

Cessna delivered 58 planes in the quarter, with billings of $204 million. That compares with 45 planes and billings of $140 million in 1996.

For the first time in more than a decade Cessna also delivered single-engine piston aircraft; 14 model 172s were produced at the Independence plant in the first quarter.

Learjet delivered 16 planes with billings of $145 million, up from 13 and $104 million a year ago. The company expects deliveries and billings to pick up dramatically in the second half of 1997 when it begins delivering the all-new Learjet 45.

“We’re pretty much on track,” said company spokesman Rollie Vincent.

Raytheon Aircraft Co. delivered 53 planes and had billings of $149.1 million, down from 64 planes and billings of $155 million a year ago.

Raytheon delivered five business jets in the quarter, one less than a year ago, but delivered 20 King Air turboprops, an increase of one.

“It was a good first quarter for us,” said Jim Gregory, Raytheon’s director-corporate affairs. “It’s a situation where the market is buoyant and we’re pleased with where we are vs. the first quarter of last year.”