Cirrus SF50 saves business jet deliveries from first quarter slump

Deliveries of the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet saved first-quarter business-jet deliveries from falling when compared to the same period last year.

Cirrus delivered 10 SF50s during the quarter, almost half the total number it delivered across the whole of 2017.
Overall there was a total of 132 business jet deliveries in the first quarter, up two aircraft from the 130 aircraft delivered in Q1 2017.

The first quarter was also notable for the first deliveries of the keenly awaited Pilatus PC-24 super-versatile jets. The two aircraft delivered were both to US fractional operator PlaneSense, which has a further four aircraft on order.

Amongst the PC-24 deliveries scheduled for later in the year is the first aircraft due to be handed over to Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service. Although this Adelaide-based aircraft is due to be ‘unveiled’ in December, several aircraft have recently been seen at the manufacturer’s Stans Switzerland production facility fully painted.

Deliveries by Embraer and Gulfstream slipped to four aircraft each. At Gulfstream the lower deliveries were in the large-cabin sector. Gulfstream deliveries should pick up later in the year as the first G500 and G600 deliveries take place.

Bombardier saw two more deliveries than in the previous year’s first quarter, with a higher number of Global and Challenger deliveries helping to offset fewer deliveries of the smaller LearJet line.

Textron delivered one more aircraft during the quarter. For Honda, the 12 aircraft delivered are three fewer than the 15 delivered in the first quarter of 2017.
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The total first-quarter delivery total of 134 is the highest since the first quarter of 2015, when 134 business jets were delivered.