French OEM Dassault Aviation only produces delivery numbers every six months. It is therefore down to the remaining members of the ‘big five’ group of manufacturers to report their numbers for this quarter, and they have certainly produced a mixed bag – but with positive mood music for the remainder of the year.
Starting at the top, Brazilian OEM Embraer Executive Jets delivered its highest number of aircraft in any Q1 since 2016. In Q1 this year the manufacturer delivered 18 corporate jets – one Phenom 100, 10 Phenom 300, three Praetor 500 and four Praetor 600. This compares to a tally of just eight units in Q1 in both 2022 and 2023. The division also reported a backlog of USD4.6 billion – an increase of USD300 million. Embraer remains on track to meet its annual estimate of between 125 and 135 aircraft for the whole year.
Savannah-based Gulfstream Aerospace did not receive its expected ‘bounce’ in Q1 deliveries because certification of its flagship G700 was delayed. With certification now in place, however, the company expects to deliver 50 more units than in 2023. In Q1 Gulfstream delivered 24 aircraft – 21 large cabin aircraft and three super-midsize G280. This compares to 21 aircraft in Q1 last year – 17 large cabin twins and four G280. Gulfstream had intended to deliver between 15 and 17 G700 in Q1 but now anticipates delivering up to 52 of the new jets by the end of Q4.
Canadian OEM Bombardier saw a small decline in deliveries in Q1 but tempered this with a 60% increase in orders during the three months compared to the same period last year. This year the manufacturer delivered eight Globals and 12 Challengers, compared to 14 Globals and eight Challengers a year ago. The OEM confirmed on its investor call that it expects to meet its full year total of between 150 and 155 units.
Finally, Textron Aviation delivered 36 jets in Q1 – four M2 Gen2, six CJ3+, six CJ4 Gen2 and two XLS+, along with 13 Citation Latitude and five Longitude. In Q1 2023 the OEM delivered 35 aircraft. However, turboprop deliveries fell markedly in 2024 with Textron delivering 20 aircraft in Q1 2024 against 34 in Q1 2023. This included a fall of five KingAir aircraft. Textron continues to suffer from supply chain issues along with inflation pressures and internal production issues.