The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reported mixed trends in global general aviation aircraft deliveries and billings for the first quarter of 2026, with performance varying significantly by segment.
In its “First Quarter 2026 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report,” released on 29 May 2026, GAMA highlighted contrasting movements across piston aircraft, turboprops, business jets and helicopters. An analysis published the same day underlined that some categories posted increases while others declined compared with the first quarter of 2025, resulting in what was described as an ups-and-downs quarter for the sector.
On the rotorcraft side, GAMA data show that piston helicopter shipments fell by 7 units year on year to 47 aircraft in the first quarter of 2026. Turbine helicopter deliveries also decreased, dropping by around 9% to 121 units over the same period. The value of civil and commercial helicopter deliveries in the quarter reached 789 million dollars, illustrating that lower unit volumes did not prevent the segment from maintaining a substantial billing base.
The quarterly report covers deliveries and associated billings for piston airplanes, turboprop aircraft, business jets and helicopters, and is widely used as a benchmark to monitor the health of the general aviation and business aviation markets. Coming in what is typically a seasonally weaker first quarter, the 2026 figures provide early indications for the year amid ongoing macroeconomic pressures, supply chain constraints and uneven demand across aircraft categories.