Aerospace Defense MRO Market

Market Overview

The global aerospace defense MRO market size was valued at USD 121.8 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 197.2 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

Aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) is critical to the aircraft lifecycle. It includes scheduled maintenance to make the aircraft airworthy continuously and unscheduled or unplanned maintenance due to damage, component and engine failures, necessary changes, and improvements to the cabin interior, systems, and other components. Aerospace and defense MRO organizations can be categorized as airline or operator MROs, independent or third-party MRO organizations, and OEM MRO organizations that provide MRO Services. SMEs play an insignificant role in OEM MRO services and fall primarily in the independent MRO sector.

Market Dynamics

Global Aerospace Defense MRO Market Drivers:

Low-Cost Airlines' Fleet Expansions Due to Strong Demand from Developing Countries

The growth of the aerospace and defense MRO market is underpinned by expansions of aircraft fleets, rapid urbanization in emerging economies, increased number of tourists worldwide, and penetration of low-cost carriers (LCC). Increased global air passenger traffic due to low-cost airlines has resulted in a growing need for highly efficient flight safety mechanisms and security check-ups to ensure maximum passenger safety. Moreover, with improved global trade relations among major economies, there is an increase in demand for cargo services expected to drive the growth of the aerospace MRO market.

Additionally, the increase in global airline passenger traffic owing to the increasing per capita income and the population's positive gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is also driving the market growth. In the past decade, the highest growth in air travel was witnessed in emerging economies such as India and China. This resulted in a significant increase in global aerospace MRO activities. IATA predicts that demand for air travel will increase even further in the upcoming years due to rising middle-class incomes and countries' positive GDP growth rates.

Rising Air Traffic

The aircraft utilization factor is a significant differentiator and key performance indicator (KPI) to identify the requirement of maintaining commercial aircraft. As the number of flights per aircraft rises globally, it is projected to lead to an increased need for routine aircraft checks. Most commercial aircraft MRO activities are driven by aircraft fleets' utilization and flight cycles. The rise in air passenger and freight traffic worldwide has led to a surge in aircraft fleet utilization in the last decade, thereby augmenting the requirement for aircraft MRO services. In addition, strategic partnerships and coordination among prominent aircraft OEMs, third-party MRO service providers, and airlines are also expected to drive the growth of the aircraft MRO market worldwide during the forecast period.

Global Aerospace Defense MRO Market Restraint:

Costly Aircraft MRO Services and Skilled Labor Shortage

One of the critical challenges that aerospace MRO companies currently face is the inevitable concern related to the labor shortage and the retention of a highly skilled workforce. The scarcity of a skilled workforce is expected to increase the maintenance costs of airlines and extend scheduled maintenance turnaround times. This may negatively impact this sector as several airlines need help maintaining their profitability sustainably due to the low cost of air tickets. In addition, replacing worn-out aircraft components leads to the high cost of MRO services as it is challenging to procure a single part of the aircraft in a short duration. Moreover, long MRO services lead time owing to the shortage of aircraft parts and skilled labor also contribute to the unavailability of aircraft for flight operations. This increases the operating expenses of airlines, thereby restraining market growth.

Global Aerospace Defense MRO Market Opportunities:

Modification and Modernization of Commercial and Military Aircraft

Aircraft modernization includes modifying, upgradation, refurbishing, and replacing worn-out aircraft parts with new ones and incorporating new technologies to make old aircraft highly efficient and comparable to next-generation aircraft. The purpose of aircraft modernization is to improve the operational capability of aircraft through the use of contemporary and automation technologies. As governments of different countries worldwide continue to strengthen their military positions, they are focusing on modernizing and maintaining their existing fleet of military aircraft.

Additionally, the aging of aircraft fleets and ongoing technological advancements in the defense MRO sector, as well as joint ventures and strategic alliances formed by defense MRO companies to address the unique conditions of the modernization initiatives undertaken by the world's armed forces, all contribute to the growth of the defense MRO market. The increasing defense expenditure of emerging economies such as China and India is driving investments in the modernization of equipment deployed in existing aircraft, primarily by incorporating them with new and sophisticated technologies. The rise in multi-role military aircraft is anticipated to drive the demand for MRO services worldwide and create lucrative opportunities for the market players to grow.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global aerospace defense MRO market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Central and South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market

Asia-Pacific is the most significant shareholder in the global aerospace defense MRO market and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest-growing aerospace markets in the world, driven by continued economic growth, growing passenger traffic, and rising domestic aircraft demand owing to the economic growth in Japan, China, and India. Due to the availability of a competent workforce, competitive labor costs, the expansion of engineering services, and R&D know-how, the area is becoming a potential international hub for producing aerospace parts and MRO services. In addition, the market is expected to grow significantly owing to increased domestic and international traffic and growing demand for international cargo, which is expected to drive the demand for MRO activities. Rise in tourism, entry of foreign airlines into the market, and increasing air freight traffic are other factors propelling the aerospace MRO market growth in the region.

Europe is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% over the forecast period. The European aerospace and defense MRO industry are more integrated and regulated by cross-border ownerships and manufacturing networks. Global air travel is expected to grow rapidly with increasing demand for fuel-efficient, cost- and energy-saving aircraft. Europe's Flightpath 2050 strategy for the aviation industry calls for a reduction in fuel emissions and noise. These require innovation in the aerospace sector, and investment in aircraft advanced MRO services. In addition, several airlines, including Air France, British Airways, and Iberia, have aircraft fleets with an average age of over 14 years. Similarly, European armed forces operate a fleet of aging helicopters and aircraft. The old and aging aircraft fleet generates higher demand for aircraft MRO, propelling market growth over the forecast period.

North America is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period. The economy of North America is highly diverse in terms of global trade, owing to the presence of key developed and advanced economies such as the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In July 2020, the U.S. revised the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and replaced it with an updated and rebalanced agreement for North America. This U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) aims to strengthen the relationships between the aerospace and defense industry of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In North America, demand for airplane MRO services is anticipated to increase over the forecast period due to growing demand for aircraft operations from the passenger and freight service sectors.

Although the aerospace and defense MRO market in Central and South America is smaller compared to other regions, it provides ample opportunities owing to the government support and collaboration of private players to expand their capabilities. Foreign players seek to increase their regional footprint to explore expansion opportunities. For instance, in May 2021, Boeing and COOPESA partnered to open two 737-800BCF conversion lines. The partnership is expected to assist in fulfilling the growing demand for Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF).

The Middle East has become a significant player in the aerospace sector, supported by its geographical placement and concerted endeavors from private companies and governments to develop the market over the past few decades. A growing number of passengers propels the expansion of the region's aerospace and defense MRO market. The region's economies are characterized by rapidly growing GCC countries, including the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait.

Segmental Analysis

The global aerospace defense MRO market is segmented by product, application, and end-user.

Based on product, the global aerospace defense MRO market is divided into engine, airframe, line, and component. 

The engine segment is responsible for the largest market share and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period. The maintenance of aero engines is one of the key security issues for keeping airplanes secure and functional. The requirement to protect the environment from pollution and adhere to regulations of FAA and EASA while enhancing the performance of aircraft engines are critical factors to be considered during airplane engine MRO. In addition, aircraft engines require to produce more power while consuming less fuel. This can be achieved by enhancing the efficiency of aircraft engines and maintaining them properly.

Aircraft airframes require heavy maintenance. Airframes comprise multiple critical flight control systems that offer high pitch and roll for carrying out aircraft operations such as take-off and landing. As a result, aircraft operators must ensure that these systems are highly efficient or productive. In April 2018, Airbus launched a project, Hangar of Future (HoF), for effective airframe MRO services. This project combined various advanced technologies to digitize and automate airframe maintenance activities to increase the efficiency of overall aircraft maintenance processes.

Based on application, the global aerospace defense MRO market is segmented into narrow-body aircraft, wide-body aircraft, regional aircraft, and others. 

The narrow-body aircraft segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period. A single aisle of seats characterizes a narrow-body aircraft. It is a small aircraft often used to operate short-haul international and domestic flights. It can carry as few as four passengers to as many as 300. In addition, several companies are investing in the aerospace and defense MRO market owing to the growing demand for narrow-body aircraft MRO services. For example, in May 2021, ST Engineering and Singapore investment fund Temasek created a joint venture dedicated to leasing cargo aircraft to meet the growing demand for aircraft MRO services from the global market.

Wide-body airplanes are twin-aisle planes that can carry many passengers and are usually employed for long-haul and medium-haul trips. These planes feature two aisles in each cabin and have a capacity of 200 to 850 people. The rise in long-haul routes with heavier traffic, typically connecting foreign locations, is the cause of the rising need for wide-body aircraft MRO. In addition, many new wide-body aircraft MRO centers have recently been set up in numerous countries. This increases OEMs' participation in the wide-body aircraft MRO service field. The rapid aircraft fleet expansion and the increased focus of OEMs on providing aircraft MRO are expected to add to the market growth.

Based on end-user, the global aerospace defense MRO market is bifurcated into commercial aviation, business and general aviation, military aviation, and others. 

The commercial aviation segment is the highest contributor to the market and is projected to grow a CAGR of 5.8% over the forecast period. Over the last two decades, commercial aviation maintenance models have evolved significantly. The market is expected to grow with the increase in fleet size, rapid urbanization, GDP growth of emerging economies, increasing tourism, higher penetration of low-cost carriers (LCC), and compulsory maintenance programs for aging aircraft. Further, a rise in the demand for cargo services due to increased international trade ties is anticipated to fuel the expansion of the commercial aviation MRO market during the forecast period.

Business and general aviation aircraft comprise light planes with low take-off weights for personal, corporate, and short-haul commercial transportation, such as air taxis and commuter airliners. These aircraft can be divided into three categories: turbofan, turboprop, and piston-engine aircraft. The business and general aviation MRO is driven by various factors, including aging business jets, demand for customization in private aircraft, refurbishment, and the preference of customers to revamp interiors with attractive materials, furnishings, colors, and other custom touches to make their cabin interiors unique.

Recent Developments

• February 2023- The Crown Group announced that it is fully prepared to provide total MRO and Avionics support to the existing fleet of Indian Fighter Jets, including MiG-29K of the Indian Navy and MiG-29, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, and Sukoi - 30 of the Indian Air Force.

• January2023- Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. announced that Jordan Aircraft Maintenance Company, Joramco, has agreed to become a Spirit Approved Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) center. Joramco, headquartered in Amman, Jordan, provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services and the engineering division of Dubai Aerospace Company (DAE).