Steady increases continue for avionics sales

Sales figures for 2019’s third quarter also rose by almost 15 percent over the same three-month period in 2018, according to the Aircraft Electronics Association’s third-quarter 2019 Avionics Market Report.

“The business and general aviation avionics industry has now seen an increase in year-over-year sales for 11 consecutive quarters,” said Mike Adamson, president of the Lee’s Summit, Missouri-based organization. “As we approach nearly three years with steadily increasing sales, I’m encouraged with the upward trend as industry looks to move beyond the Federal Aviation Administration’s ADS-B Out deadline of New Year’s Day 2020.”

The reported dollar value of sales is based on net sales prices of all business and general aviation aircraft electronics purchases. The figures include components and accessories in cockpits and cabins, software upgrades, portable systems, certified and noncertified aircraft electronics, all hardware (tip to tail), batteries, and chargeable product upgrades from the participating manufacturers, the report said.

The sales figures do not include repairs and overhauls or extended warranty or subscription services.

“Of the more than $2.2 billion in sales during the first nine months of 2019, 52.8% came from the retrofit market (avionics equipment installed after original production), while forward-fit sales (avionics equipment installed by airframe manufacturers during original production) amounted to 47.2% of sales,” the report stated.

Companies that presented total sales figures divided between North America (the United States and Canada) and other markets reported that 74.9 percent of year-to-date sales volume was realized in North America, with 25.1 percent occurring elsewhere.

The Avionics Market Report has presented the industry’s quarterly and annual sales since 2013.