According to the Aircraft Electronics Association second-quarter 2015 Avionics Market Report, total sales exceeded $1.1 billion in first six months of 2015.
Sales during the second-quarter months of April, May and June rose 3.1% compared to the first three months of the year, according to the report. However, there was an 8.5% decrease in year-over-year sales compared to the first six months of 2014 amount of more than $1.3 billion.
“While there was a general improvement of 3.1% in the second quarter when compared to the first three months of the year, a decrease in year-over-year sales may indicate that the industry is facing some economic challenges,” said AEA President Paula Derks. “The report also shows that a significant portion of the year-over-year decline in sales dollars is taking place in international markets outside the U.S. and Canada, and perhaps the strength of the U.S. dollar is having an impact on sales in those regions. This is certainly an area of the report to pay close attention to in the coming quarters.”
The dollar amount reported (using net sales price, not manufacturer’s suggested retail price) includes: all business and general aviation aircraft electronic sales — including all component and accessories in cockpit/cabin/software upgrades/portables/certified and noncertified aircraft electronics; all hardware (tip to tail); batteries; and chargeable product upgrades from the participating manufacturers. The amount does not include repairs and overhauls, extended warranty or subscription services.
Of the more than $1.1 billion in sales during the first six months of 2015, 52.3% came from forward-fit (avionics equipment installed by airframe manufacturers during original production) sales, or more than $624 million. The retrofit (avionics equipment installed after original production) market amounted to 47.7% of sales during the first six months of the current year, or more than $568 million.
According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between North America (U.S. and Canada) and other international markets, 64.5% of sales in the first six months occurred in North America (U.S. and Canada), while 35.5% took place in other international markets.