According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, aircraft shipments were down yet again in Q2/15, including a 4.1% drop in business jet shipments.

Business jet manufacturers shipped 305 airplanes compared to 318 airplanes last year, but the 4.1% decline was not as steep a drop as those felt in the rest of the industry.

Industry airplane shipments fell 9.1% to 1,015 units for the first half of the year, and airplane billings declined 4.6% to $10.4 billion, compared to the same period a year ago. Rotorcraft shipments decreased, from 502 units to 447 units, and billings were down an estimated 16.8% to $1.9 billion for the first six months.

The number of piston airplanes delivered fell 11.8%, from 526 units to 464 units. Turboprop shipments also declined, taking a 9.9% fall to 246 airplanes. Piston rotorcraft declined to 130 shipments while turbine rotorcraft dropped from 358 units in 2014 to 317 units in 2015, an 11.5% decline.

“While the second quarter generally improved over the first, our industry is still being buffeted by volatile global markets and contraction within the energy sector,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “Robust new product development continues in each of our member companies, accentuating the need for streamlined certification processes and efficient validation mechanisms between regulatory authorities. Finally, fair global competitiveness for all GAMA members rests on the need for a global level playing field. Therefore, Export-Import Bank reauthorization remains a key priority for manufacturers.”