GAMA’s Latest Report Shows Strength in GA Shipments and Billings

Cirrus and Airbus Helicopters lead the way in general aviation airplane and helicopter shipments, respectively, in the first six months of 2026.

Jack Daleo

Friday, September 04, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Cirrus Aircraft shipped 405 units through the first six months of 2026, including 196 turbocharged SR22s, per GAMA’s latest report. [Credit: Cirrus Aircraft]

Key Takeaways:

General aviation (GA) aircraft shipments and billings experienced significant growth in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with airplane billings up 15.5% to $14.3 billion and helicopter billings up 7.2% to $2.2 billion.
This positive trend extended quarter-over-quarter in 2026, as both airplane and helicopter shipments and billings increased substantially from Q1 to Q2, with turbine models leading quarterly percentage increases.
Business jets (8.2%) and turboprops (7.8%) saw the largest annual percentage increases in airplane shipments, while piston airplanes were the only segment to experience a decline (down 3.1%).
Cirrus led GA airplane shipments with 405 units, and Airbus Helicopters was most active in the GA rotorcraft segment with 142 units.

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Shipments and billings for general aviation airplanes and helicopters were up in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) latest report. Shipments and billings also rose from the first quarter of 2026 to the second quarter.

According to GAMA, manufacturers shipped 1,458 airplanes from January through the end of June, compared to 1,433 for that stretch in 2025. That included 786 piston aircraft, 289 turboprops, and 383 business jets. GAMA estimated that airplane billings through the first six months of the year totalled about $14.3 billion, 15.5 percent higher than 2025’s $12.4 billion.