Total avionics sales topped $777 million in first three months of 2023, according to the first-quarter 2023 Avionics Market Report from the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA).
The figure represents a 22.6% increase in total sales compared to the first-quarter 2022 amount of $634 million.
That increase was driven by a 32.1% increase in forward-fit sales compared to the same time a year ago, according to AEA officials.
However, first-quarter sales decreased 2.1% from the fourth quarter of 2022, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive quarters of increasing sales, AEA officials reported.
Of the more than $777 million in first-quarter 2023 sales, 39.9% 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 60.1% of first-quarter sales.
“This quarterly report offers mixed results, as the industry posted a lower dollar amount in sales when compared to the fourth quarter of last year, while at the same time reporting an increase in sales of more than 22% compared to the first three months of 2022,” said AEA President and CEO Mike Adamson. “Also of note, the industry garnered the largest forward-fit sales volume in the history of the report with more than $467 million in avionics sales to OEMs. It is only the second time that quarterly sales have topped $400 million in that category.”
According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between North America (U.S. and Canada) and other international markets, 74.5% of the first-quarter sales volume occurred in North America, while 25.5% took place in other 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 non-certified aircraft electronics, all hardware (tip to tail), batteries, and chargeable product upgrades. It does not include repairs and overhauls, extended warranty, or subscription services.
The real question is… does they mean the sales of avionics is up for 2023 or is it just that the cost of avionics is up!