Worldwide avionics sales are up 15.5% over last year, according to the Aircraft Electronics Association‘s third-quarter 2018 Avionics Market Report.
Total sales exceed $2 billion in the first nine months of 2018, according to the report.
That’s a 15.5% increase in year-over-year sales compared to the first nine months of 2017 amount of $1.73 billion, AEA officials noted.
Sales during the third-quarter months of July, August and September in 2018 were $679.8 million, a 15.6% increase compared to the 2017 third-quarter sales of $587.9 million.
Year-to-date, both the retrofit and forward-fit markets have seen double-digit increases in sales compared to the first nine months of 2017. The forward-fit market was up 16.6% compared to a year ago, while the retrofit market has increased 14.7%.
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 $2 billion in sales during the first nine months of 2018, 57.3% 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 42.7% of sales.
According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between North America (U.S. and Canada) and other international markets, 77.7% of sales in the first nine months of 2018 occurred in North America (U.S. and Canada), while 22.3% took place in other international markets.
“With robust growth in sales during the first nine months of the year, industry is on pace to produce the largest dollar amount of year-end avionics sales since the reporting process began back in 2012,” said AEA President Paula Derks. “We have now seen seven straight quarters of positive year-over-year sales growth dating back to the end of 2016, and it’s an encouraging sign for the industry that sales are strong in both the forward-fit and retrofit markets.”