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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 3075.PDF
CORPORATE AVIATION Shifting balance The world fleet of corporate aviation is evenly balanced in aircraft type, if not in location. FORBES MUTCH/LONDON MIDWAY THROUGH 1995, it looked as if a new trend had been established in the world fleet of business aircraft. For die first time in many years of turboprop dominance, the balance tipped in favour of jet- powered aircraft. The lead was not substantial (a meagre 1 %) but the number of turbofan-driven aircraft Was definitely above the number of turboprops (8,046 against 7,768; Flight Inter national20-26 September, 1995) and tliere was talk tliat die divide would widen. Twelve months later, however, this dramatic sea change appears to have been no more dian an unseasonable squall. The balance has been redressed in 1996, with the total number of operational turboprops in the world edging past the 8,000 mark (to 8,129), while the number of jets has remained static at 8,045. This may come as a surprise to die manufac turers, which have been concentrating their efforts on developing light business jets, argu ing tftat the new-generation turbofans offer jet efficiency at roughly the same cost as the com parative turboprops. They continue to play a waiting game, confident that jet sales will even tually surge worldwide. In Norm America, die turbofan continues to outsell the turboprop. Manufacturers will be less astonished by the distribution pattern of the world fleet, however. Of die seven geographical regions covered by Flight International's survey, only Nordi America shows any significant increase in the number of operational business aircraft, with a total increase of 770 turbofans and turboprops overthe 1995 figure. The increases inAfrica (2 7 aircraft) and Oceania (18 aircraft) are marginal, and all the odier regions show a drop in total numbers (Asia by 51; South America by 101; Central America, including die once-heralded boom-country Mexico, by 103; and Europe, including Russia, by 200). Based on this year's diird-quarter results, the US General Aviation Manufacturers Assoc iation (GAMA) suggests that North American manufacturers can expect to see a continuation of diis growth. After nine mondis, a total of 348 turboprops and turbofans had been shipped. The figures reveal that turboprops were actual ly up 18% on the previous year, at 197 units shipped, but jets were 7.9% down at 151, • Region Africa Asia C.America Europe N. America Oceania S. America Total Jets 189 302 408 917 5,722 78 429 8.045 Turboprops Total ('96) (Total '95) 392 581 (554) 268 I 237 .900 5,124 161 1,047 8,129 570 645 1,817 10,846 239 1,476 16,174 (621) (748) (2,017) (10,076) (221) (1,577) 15,814 FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 Novemberl996 63
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