Aviation turning itself around

The Wichita Eagle reports:

The general aviation industry signaled that a recovery is under way with a 24 percent increase in third-quarter deliveries.

Worldwide, planemakers shipped 806 general aviation aircraft worth $2.9 billion in the third quarter of 2004, according to figures compiled by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association...

Shipments at Raytheon Aircraft and Bombardier Aerospace have risen this year. Raytheon Aircraft delivered 85 aircraft in the third quarter, up from 61 for the same three months a year ago. So far this year, Raytheon has delivered 186 planes, up from 162 for the first three quarters of 2003.

Bombardier Aerospace delivered 13 Wichita-built Learjet business jets and eight Challenger 300s during the quarter, compared to eight Learjets a year ago.
For first nine months of 2004, Bombardier delivered 57 Wichita-built business jets, compared to 32 for the same time a year ago.

Deliveries at Cessna Aircraft Co. are still down from last year, although the third quarter of 2004 showed improvement. Cessna expected deliveries to fall this year but predicts an increase in 2005.

For the first nine months of the year, Cessna shipped 528 aircraft, compared with 578 for the same period a year ago.

But during the third quarter, Cessna delivered 272 planes, compared with 192 in the third quarter of 2003.