Visiongain has published a new report entitled Commercial Aircraft Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Market Report 2026-2036 (Including Impact of U.S. Trade Tariffs): Forecasts by Maintenance Level (Base Maintenance, Heavy Maintenance (C-Check, D-Check)), by End-user (Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs), Commercial Passenger Airlines, Other), by Contract Model (In-House MRO, Third-Party MRO Contracts, Power-by-the-Hour (PBH) Agreements, Long-Term Service Agreements (LTSA)), by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Regional Jets, Turboprop Aircraft, Cargo/Freighter Aircraft), by Type (Engine MRO, Airframe MRO, Component MRO, Line Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades, Parts & Rotables Support) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies.

The global commercial aircraft maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) market is estimated at US$89.68 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period 2026-2036.

Impact of US Trade Tariffs on the Global Commercial Aircraft Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Market   

The introduction of U.S. tariffs on imported aerospace parts, components, and MRO-related materials has created significant cost pressures across the global commercial aviation maintenance ecosystem. Since U.S. airlines and maintenance, repair & overhaul providers heavily rely on international supply chains especially for engines, avionics, landing gear, and composite structures tariff hikes have elevated procurement costs and extended lead times. This disruption has prompted airlines to reassess sourcing strategies, accelerate onshoring of repair work, and form new partnerships with domestic suppliers. 

Globally, tariffs have triggered similar retaliatory policies, impacted cross-border maintenance flows and increased the shift toward regionalized maintenance, repair & overhaul hubs. As a result, the global maintenance, repair & overhaul market must navigate higher operational expenses, restructuring of supply chains, and adjustments in long-term investment plans, with varying outcomes depending on the pace of economic recovery.

Aging Fleets and OEM Delivery Delays Are Extending Aircraft Life and Intensifying Heavy Checks

A second powerful driver is the combination of aging aircraft and delayed replacement cycles, which is forcing airlines to keep older jets in service longer and invest more heavily in MRO. Post-pandemic supply chain disruptions at OEMs, engine manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers have slowed new aircraft and engine deliveries, particularly for the A320neo family and 737 MAX, while specific engine issues (e.g., Pratt & Whitney GTF inspections) have removed capacity from fleets. As a result, airlines are leaning on older A320ceos, 737NGs and early widebodies, triggering more D-checks, structural inspections, cabin refurbishments and engine shop visits. 

This is visible in the strong performance of engine overhaul – which accounts for nearly half of the commercial aircraft MRO market by value – and the ongoing strength of airframe heavy maintenance despite earlier expectations of accelerated fleet renewal. When airlines decide to defer fleet renewal by even 5–7 years, they typically need at least one extra heavy check and often mid-life engine overhauls, which significantly increase per-aircraft MRO spend. For example, Air Arabia’s decision to commit to a long-term CFM56-5B engine support contract with Lufthansa Technik for its A320ceo fleet shows that even as carriers plan for future neo or MAX deliveries, they must ensure older fleets remain reliable and compliant, effectively adding incremental MRO cycles that would not have been required under a faster replacement scenario.

How will this Report Benefit you?

Visiongain’s 474-page report provides 126 tables and 196 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the commercial aircraft maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for commercial aircraft maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO). Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including maintenance level, end-user, contract model, aircraft type, and type, and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing commercial aircraft maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.

What are the Current Market Drivers?

Outsourcing and Airline Focus on Core Operations Are Expanding the Addressable Market for Third-Party MROs

Many airlines, especially low-cost carriers and smaller full-service operators, are increasingly focusing on core activities such as revenue management, network planning and customer experience, while outsourcing non-core but highly specialized functions like heavy maintenance, complex component repair and engine overhauls. This strategic shift is a major demand driver for independent and airline-affiliated third-party MRO providers. Outsourcing allows airlines to avoid heavy capital expenditure on hangars, tooling, and regulatory approvals, and gives them access to global pools of spare parts, repair shops and engineering talent. Real-world examples abound: AFI KLM E&M has built a robust third-party business by signing long-term power-by-the-hour and component support contracts with airlines such as Air Europa and SunExpress for their Boeing 787 and 737 fleets, respectively, providing comprehensive maintenance support from 2024 onwards. 

AAR and AFI KLM E&M have also formed a joint venture in Chonburi, Thailand, dedicated to next-generation nacelle MRO, including on-wing services, specifically targeted at airlines in the Asia-Pacific region that prefer to outsource complex nacelle work. Similarly, Delta TechOps has emerged as a global MRO provider in its own right, celebrating 25 years of serving third-party customers and securing component contracts and engine maintenance deals for airlines worldwide, transforming what was once an internal cost center into a significant profit driver for the airline. 

Digitally Enabled Predictive Maintenance and Data-Driven MRO Are Reshaping Service Models

Digital transformation is no longer a buzzword in the MRO space – it is now a core driver of market growth as airlines and MRO providers use analytics, AI and connected aircraft data to optimize maintenance intervals, reduce unscheduled events, and increase aircraft availability. Global MRO demand is forecast to reach around USD 124 billion by 2034, and a significant portion of value creation will come from digital productivity improvements and new data-driven service offerings. 

Delta TechOps, for example, has installed Avionica’s wireless miniQAR across its Boeing 757 fleet, reducing data latency from 25 days to just three minutes and eliminating thousands of hours of manual data collection. This enables near-real-time health monitoring and predictive maintenance, which in turn enhances operational reliability and supports new analytics-driven MRO products. Similarly, Pratt & Whitney’s agreement with Delta TechOps to increase geared-turbofan (GTF) engine MRO capacity by 30% explicitly leverages digital diagnostics and fleet-wide data to schedule shop visits more efficiently and reduce turnaround times, while enabling Delta to position itself as a high-tech GTF MRO hub. 

Lufthansa Technik and Safran’s expanded APU generator MRO partnership for the Airbus A320 family also highlights how OEM–MRO collaborations increasingly include data-sharing and predictive algorithms to optimize generator maintenance and reduce in-service failures. As digital sophistication grows, airlines are more willing to pay for “power by the hour” and performance-based contracts, directly increasing the value and stickiness of MRO relationships.

Where are the Market Opportunities?

New-Generation Engine MRO (CFM LEAP, PW GTF) Is a Multi-Decade Growth Pocket

The transition to new-generation narrowbody and widebody engines such as CFM LEAP and Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan is unlocking a large, long-tail opportunity for specialized engine MRO. Engine overhaul already represents roughly 30–50% of total MRO market value depending on definition, and its share is expected to remain dominant as these advanced engines accumulate flight cycles and reach their first and second shop visits. 

Recognizing this, providers are racing to secure early mover advantages. ST Engineering has signed a 15-year exclusive contract with Akasa Air to support its LEAP-1B engines for their first performance restoration shop visits, and a multi-year deal with an Asian airline for CFM56-7B engine heavy shop visits, effectively locking in a long pipeline of high-value engine work. It has also secured contracts for CFM56 and LEAP-1A engines from major Middle Eastern carriers, with work to be carried out at its facilities in Singapore. Pratt & Whitney’s partnership with Delta TechOps to boost GTF MRO capacity by 30%, targeting around 450 shop visits annually, underscores how OEMs are leveraging airline-affiliated MROs to expand global capacity and meet rising demand for new-generation engine maintenance. As more LEAP and GTF-powered aircraft enter mid-life, the volume of shop visits will rise sharply, presenting a multi-decade revenue stream for certified engine shops and opening opportunities for new joint ventures and licensed facilities in emerging regions.

Competitive Landscape

The major players operating in the commercial aircraft maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) market are AAR CORP, Aeroman, Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering Corporation (Ameco), British Airways Engineering, Delta TechOps, Etihad Airways Engineering, FL Technics, GE Aerospace Services, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Lufthansa Technik, MTU Aero Engines AG, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce Plc, Sabena Technics, SIA Engineering Company. These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, collaborations, investment in R&D, regional business expansion, partnerships, and new product launch.

Recent Developments

18 November 2025, At Dubai Airshow 2025, Air Arabia extended its partnership with Lufthansa Technik via a long-term contract covering comprehensive CFM56-5B engine MRO services for its 43-aircraft A320ceo fleet, with work performed at Lufthansa Technik’s Hamburg shop through 2033 and the first engine already inducted. The agreement deepens a decade-long relationship and secures a significant pipeline of narrowbody engine work for Lufthansa Technik.

10–11 September 2025, Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), the MRO arm of Capital A, and AFI KLM E&M signed a long-term component support agreement to cover AirAsia Group’s incoming fleet of up to 377 A321neo aircraft across Malaysia and Thailand, building on existing support for A320neo and A330 fleets. Under the deal, AFI KLM E&M provides pooling and repair services while ADE manages the program, creating a powerful Asia-Pacific component support platform.

26 November 2025, Safran announced a $23.25 million investment in a new LEAP engine MRO facility in Hyderabad, India, designed to handle up to 300 LEAP shop visits per year from 2026 and support India’s fast-growing A320neo and 737 MAX fleets. The move is aimed at repatriating MRO work that is currently largely sent overseas and at making India a key hub within the global LEAP support network.

Notes for Editors

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