With the ADS-B deadline behind us and the COVID-19 pandemic upon us, avionics sales worldwide dropped 8.8% in the first quarter of 2020, according to the Avionics Market Report from the Aircraft Electronics Association.
In the first three months of the year, total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales totaled more than $660 million as reported by the participating companies.
That represents an 8.8% decrease in total sales compared to the first-quarter 2019 amount of more than $724 million. It also ended a streak of 12 consecutive quarters with a reported increase in year-over-year sales.
However, this year’s first-quarter sales showed a 3.2% increase compared to the same period two years ago in 2018, when sales were more than $639 million, AEA officials note.
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 $660 million in first-quarter 2020 sales, 52.3% 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 47.7% of first-quarter sales.
According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between North America (U.S. and Canada) and other international markets, 75.2% of the first-quarter sales volume occurred in North America, while 24.8% took place in other markets.
“With the passing of the Jan. 1, 2020, deadline to equip aircraft with ADS-B Out avionics in the United States, the end to 12 consecutive quarters of sales growth may not come as a surprise,” said AEA President and CEO Mike Adamson. “We also don’t yet know the full extent and global impact of the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic near the end of the first quarter and how it will weigh on the industry and our market figures going forward. The continued operations of business and general aviation could provide a silver lining while commercial aviation remains at a near standstill worldwide.”
All dollar amounts noted are U.S. dollars. The number of companies that participate in the AEA Avionics Market Report may change on a quarterly or annual basis, according to AEA officials. This may occur due to mergers and acquisitions during the year, along with new companies participating in the reporting process. Any comparative analysis of the data should take this variance into consideration.
To ensure confidentiality, the participating manufacturing companies submit their sales figures to an independent third-party firm retained to produce the AEA Avionics Market Report.
The companies currently participating in the report include:
- ACR Artex
- ALTO Aviation
- Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing Corp.
- Appareo
- Aspen Avionics
- BendixKing
- Blue Avionics
- Cobham Aerospace Connectivity
- Collins Aerospace
- FreeFlight Systems
- Garmin
- Genesys Aerosystems
- Gogo Business Aviation
- Honeywell Business & General Aviation
- Jupiter Avionics
- L3Harris Technologies
- Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics
- PS Engineering
- Sandia Aerospace
- Shadin Avionics
- Trig Avionics
- Universal Avionics, an Elbit Systems Co.