Aircraft MRO Market: Current Analysis and Forecast (2024-2032)

Aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) refers to the on-ground activities that include timely maintenance, repair, and replacement of wear and tear as well as overhaul of entire aircraft to meet new aviation standards. As MRO activities are crucial to the operational readiness of the aviation fleet the segment has majorly benefitted from the increasing air fleet. Apart from the growing number of commercial aircraft, many of the countries are also focusing on the expansion of existing airports and the establishment of new airports, which has further impacted the ground handling services and new hangers, further promoting the demand for Global MRO services.

The Global Aircraft MRO market was valued at USD 102,375.50 million in 2023 and is expected to grow at a strong CAGR of around 3.92% during the forecast period (2024-2032). One of the key factors that have supported the market growth of MRO services is the rising number of commercial aircraft across the globe. After the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a large number of airlines are experiencing a surge in air travel, majorly in developing regions, due to which there is an incessant need to expand the existing air fleet. In line with many of the large-scale commercial jet purchase orders that have been placed, it would be crucial to increase the demand for MRO services in the coming period. For instance, in 2023, Scoot, a Singapore-based airline, announced its plans to purchase nine brand-new E190-E2 regional jets. The respective jets will be added to the fleet in March 2024.

Additionally, another budget airline service provider in Indonesia, Lion Air, announced the purchase of 80 new aircraft in 2023. The airline had already added 43 new aircraft in its fleet by 2022.

Additionally, this rise in the acquisition of commercial aircraft by the airlines in the developing regions would be crucial for MRO services with the higher need to maintain a large fleet operational for domestic and international air travel needs.

Considering the rising demand for commercial aircraft, it is observed that the need for building new terminals, expansion of airports, and establishing/building new aircraft hangers would be observed. With these instrumental upgrades, the Global MRO market is further anticipated to rise in the forecasted years, i.e., 2024-2032.

Based on the type of aircraft, the Global MRO market is segmented into narrow-body, wide-body, regional jets, and others. Of these narrow body aircraft segment has held the major market share due to its sheer size in numbers as opposed to its counterparts as well as high demand for the same in the upcoming order backlog of leading aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus. According to Boeing Corporation, between 2023-2042, a total number of 32,420 narrowbody aircraft will be delivered. Of this, nearly 40% would be used for low-cost carrier operations across the globe. Additionally, Narrow Body aircraft have a 3-4 m diameter accommodating a single aisle, due to which the seating capacity comes densely packed. The respective type of aircraft have majorly been opted by airlines to reduce their cost as with low air travel and leftover seats; the narrow body aircraft still cost less to operate due to their lower weight and size.

Based on the aircraft operator, the global Aircraft MRO market has been segmented into Airline/MRO Operator, Independent MRO, and OEM. Of these, passenger transport has held the major market share of the two due to the rising number of passengers across the globe opting for air travel both for domestic and international trips. The respective segment also holds a major market share due to the sheer number of commercial aircraft fleets, which requires a higher frequency of maintenance to ensure safety and aviation regulations.

For a better understanding of the market adoption of Aircraft MRO, the Global Aircraft MRO market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. Of these, the Asia Pacific region held the largest share in 2023. Asia Pacific has a vast aviation industry, and it is looking forward to comprehensively supporting research & development around aviation challenges and their potential technological solutions. Additionally, the region is home to some of the largest commercial aviation companies across the globe. Considering the vast volume of production, the region is further anticipated to dominate the demand for Aircraft MRO in the coming period.

Some of the major players operating in the market include AAR Corp., Airbus SE, Delta TechOps, HongKong Aircraft Engineering Company, KLM U.K Engineering Limited, Lufthansa Technik, MTU Aero Engines AG, Collins Aerospace (Raytheon Technologies Corporation), Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited, and TAP Maintenance & Engineering.