Avionics sales in the second-quarter months of April, May, and June, fell 37.3% from the same time a year ago.
According to the latest Avionics Market Report from the Aircraft Electronics Association, sales in the second quarter were $490.7 million, compared to $782.2 million for the same period in 2019.
In the first six months of the year, total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales fell 23.6% to $1.1 billion.
“Realizing a substantial decrease in worldwide avionics sales during the second quarter was the expectation in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said AEA President and CEO Mike Adamson.
“The economic impact of the disease has been significant, and the business and general aviation electronics industry is not immune to the crisis. However, I remain optimistic that our industry will be poised for recovery as our shops and manufacturers continue their essential operations, legislators continue to address key employment initiatives, and our industry amplifies the immense value of business and general aviation as an economic catalyst.”
Of the more than $1.1 billion in sales during the first half of 2020, 53.3% 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 46.7% of sales.
According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between North America (U.S. and Canada) and other international markets, 74.6% of the year-to-date sales volume occurred in North America, while 25.4% took place in international markets.
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.
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 and/or annual basis. 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, AEA officials note.
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.
Companies currently participating in the report include:
- ACR Artex
- ALTO Aviation
- Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing Corp.
- Appareo
- Aspen Avionics
- BendixKing
- Blue Avionics
- Collins Aerospace
- FreeFlight Systems
- Garmin
- Genesys Aerosystems
- Gogo Business Aviation
- Honeywell Business & General Aviation
- L3Harris Technologies
- Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics
- PS Engineering
- Sandia Aerospace
- Shadin Avionics
- Trig Avionics
- Universal Avionics, an Elbit Systems Co.