The Aircraft Electronics Association has released its 2021 year-end Avionics Market Report. Total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales for the year amounted to $2,367,592,204, or more than $2.3 billion, as reported by the participating companies. The dollar amount represented a 6.5 per cent increase in total year-end sales compared to 2020.

During the fourth-quarter months of October, November and December, sales increased 7.4 per cent compared to the same time frame one year ago. Fourth-quarter sales increased 0.6 per cent sequentially from the third quarter of 2021 and marked the sixth consecutive quarter of increasing sales.

The dollar amount reported, using the net sales price rather than the 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 from the participating manufacturers. The amount does not include repairs and overhauls, extended warranty or subscription services.

Of the more than $2.3 billion in sales in 2021, 54.6 per cent 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 45.4 per cent of sales.

According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between the US and Canada versus other international markets, 75.2 per cent of the 2021 sales volume occurred in North America, while 24.8 per cent took place elsewhere.

"Industry sales have been steadily climbing for six straight quarters after bottoming out in the second quarter of 2020," says president and CEO Mike Adamson. "As the industry continues to recover from the initial jolt of the pandemic, avionics manufacturers are now dealing with supply chain issues that may impact sales through 2022. As a result, many OEMs are engaged in ongoing and proactive communications with their dealers and navigating through increasing lead times for some products."