Piper Aircraft, Inc. announced today following the release of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Annual Industry Review a 26.7% increase in aircraft billings for 2016. The year-end aircraft shipments and billings numbers were presented by Piper Aircraft President and CEO, Simon Caldecott, the 2017 Chairman of GAMA.
The substantial growth was driven by the certification and delivery of the new Piper flagship M600 SETP and a 68% YOY increase of Piper Archer primary trainer aircraft which helped drive Piper total billings up by nearly $32M vs 2015. Sales of all Piper trainers were steady, showing moderate growth at .8% for 2016. Deliveries continued to be largely concentrated within the North American market with more than 80% of aircraft delivered in that region. The remaining 20% were delivered outside of North America with the majority being shipped to the countries within the Pacific Rim.
“Our commitment to bring the M600 to market in 2016 as well as implementing a build to order business model has helped increase revenue while securing the health and future of Piper Aircraft. As we look towards 2017, we are excited about the recent trainer contracts that we have been awarded, which has helped develop a backlog of orders. Additionally working in concert with our full-service Dealers we look to continue to grow M-class demand and sales,” said Simon Caldecott, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft.
