Business jets lift general aviation shipments for 2025 to record $35.7B

The general aviation industry closed 2025 with record billings as business jet shipments climbed to new heights. 

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) used its annual State of the Industry press conference in Washington, D.C., to release its 2025 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report, saying preliminary aircraft deliveries for the year totaled $35.7 billion, up 14.6% from 2024.  

“The state of the general aviation manufacturing industry remains steadfast,” said GAMA President and CEO James Viola, pointing to annual billings he described as “the highest it has ever been.” Viola also noted that even where deliveries slipped for some segments, all remained above 2019 levels.  

Total airplane shipments rose 2.2% year over year, from 3,162 aircraft in 2024 to 3,230 in 2025, as total airplane billings climbed 16.1% to $31 billion.  

Manufacturers shipped 854 business jets in 2025, up 11.8% from 764 a year earlier, according to GAMA.  

Piston airplanes edged higher as well, increasing by 10 units to 1,782, a 0.6% gain. Turboprops moved in the other direction, declining 5.1% to 594 units.  

Looking quarter by quarter, GAMA’s report showed the usual pattern of deliveries accelerating late in the year. Manufacturers shipped 1,027 airplanes in the fourth quarter, versus 632 in the first quarter. Business jet deliveries followed the same arc, rising from 141 in Q1 to 300 in Q4.  

Helicopters told a slightly different story. Total rotorcraft shipments dipped 1.9% to 938 units in 2025, down from 956 in 2024. Piston helicopters slipped from 210 to 206, while turbine helicopters declined from 746 to 732.  

Even with fewer helicopter deliveries, the category’s preliminary value rose. GAMA put helicopter billings at $4.7 billion in 2025, up about 5.5% from $4.5 billion in 2024.  

Leonardo Helicopters’ fourth-quarter data was not available when GAMA published the year-end report, and the association said Leonardo plans to release year-end results next week. GAMA said it excluded Leonardo’s fourth-quarter 2024 data in the year-over-year comparison table and will update the report when Leonardo’s numbers arrive.  

The year-end report also provides a snapshot of where aircraft were delivered. By delivery region, North America accounted for 72.6% of piston deliveries, 57.6% of turboprops, and 64.9% of business jets. Europe represented 8.3% of piston deliveries and 14% of turboprops, while Asia Pacific took 6.9% of piston aircraft and 5.4% of turboprops. Latin America and the Middle East and Africa made up the remainder across categories.  

GAMA’s historical table shows airplane billings rising from $23.5 billion in 2019 to $31 billion in 2025, alongside steady growth in total airplane shipments over the same period. 

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