In the first nine months of the year, total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales amounted to more than $2 billion as reported by the participating companies in the Aircraft Electronics Association's third quarter 2022 Avionics Market Report.

Third-quarter sales increased 4.6 per cent sequentially from the second quarter of 2022, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of increasing sales. During the third quarter months of July, August and September, sales increased 23.2 per cent compared to the same time frame one year ago. The figure represented an 18.3 per cent increase in total sales compared to the first nine months of 2021, which was driven by a 39.1 per cent increase in forward-fit sales compared to the same time frame one year ago.

The more than $407 million in forward-fit sales marks the largest sales total in that category in the report's history, surpassing the previous high of more than $376 million reported in the second quarter of 2019.

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 billion in sales during the first nine months of 2022, 45.5 per cent came from the retrofit market, namely avionics equipment installed after original production, while forward-fit sales, namely avionics equipment installed by airframe manufacturers during original production, amounted to 54.5 per cent of sales.

According to the companies that separated their total sales figures between North America (US and Canada) and other international markets, 73.7 per cent of the year-to-date sales volume occurred in North America, while 26.4 per cent took place in other international markets.

"While year-over-year avionics sales in the retrofit market are nearly flat, the overwhelming majority of the total sales growth is taking place in the forward-fit market," says AEA president and CEO Mike Adamson. "Avionics installed in newly manufactured aircraft were valued at more than $400 million this quarter for the first time in our report's history, and our industry is seeing a healthy demand for brand-new general aviation aircraft."