Gitnux/Report 2026

Aviation & Aerospace Industry Statistics

The airline industry generated more than $1 trillion in revenue in 2025, explore the figures behind 2026 growth, company scale, and AI and data trends.
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12Sections
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November 11, 2026Updated
Aviation & Aerospace Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The aviation & aerospace industry at a glance

Aviation is operating at record scale: airlines carried nearly 5 billion passengers in 2025, while aircraft demand, commercial services and sustainability investment continue to expand despite supply-chain and profitability pressures.

$1.0T+[3]
Airline revenue in 2025
4.67B[53]
Scheduled passengers in 2024
43,000+[1]
Aircraft demand through 2045
8,754[1]
Airbus commercial backlog, 2025
Market size
The airline industry generated more than $1 trillion in revenue in 2025, according to IATA. The wider commercial aviation services market is forecast by Boeing to be worth $4.9 trillion over 2026–2045.[3][13]
Forecast & CAGR
Boeing’s 2026 outlook forecasts air-cargo traffic growth of about 3.7% annually through 2045 and low-cost-carrier fleet growth of nearly 4% annually. Airbus expects more than 43,000 new passenger and freighter aircraft to be required over the next 20 years.[13][1]
Market share & regions
In 2025, North America accounted for 64.9% of global business-jet deliveries, 57.6% of turboprop deliveries and 72.6% of piston-airplane deliveries. Boeing forecasts mature regions will represent about 45% of new commercial-aircraft deliveries through 2045, with emerging and transitioning markets accounting for about 55%.[72][13]
Segmentation
The industry spans commercial passenger aviation, air cargo, general aviation, business aviation, helicopters, defense and space, and aftermarket services. Within 2025 general aviation manufacturing, 1,782 piston airplanes, 594 turboprops, 854 business jets and 1,004 helicopters were shipped worldwide.[72][13]
Key players & concentration
Commercial aircraft manufacturing remains highly concentrated: Airbus delivered 793 commercial aircraft in 2025 and ended the year with an 8,754-aircraft backlog. Aviation Week’s market summary estimates Airbus and Boeing together will capture about 91% of global commercial-aircraft production by 2028–2029.[1][73]
Pricing
IATA forecast the average return airfare at $374 per passenger in 2025, while passenger yields were expected to decline 4.0% year on year because of lower oil prices and strong competition. Airline net profit averaged only $7.20 per passenger in the same forecast.[52][3]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is being supported by resilient leisure travel, emerging-market middle classes, e-commerce and fleet replacement. Key constraints include aircraft and engine supply shortages, labor costs, pilot availability, manufacturing quality issues and the need to reduce emissions; IATA reported a 2025 airline net margin of 4.2%.[13][3][1]
Consumer behavior & competition
International premium-class passengers reached 109.7 million in 2025, up 4.5% year on year and representing 5.5% of international travelers. Boeing forecasts premium offerings to grow especially in North America and Northeast Asia, while low-cost options expand in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.[3][13]
M&A
Airbus completed its acquisition of selected Spirit AeroSystems commercial-aircraft assets in December 2025, receiving compensation of $439 million and adding more than 4,000 employees. The transaction covered sites and production activities in the United States, France, Morocco, Northern Ireland and Scotland.[1]
Regulation
ICAO’s CORSIA first phase runs from 2024 through 2026, with 85% of 2019 international-aviation emissions used as the baseline. In the EU, ReFuelEU Aviation began its first SAF mandate in 2025 with a minimum 2% share, while EU ETS-covered aviation emissions reached 62.7 million tonnes of CO2 in 2025.[53][74][75]
Latest news
The latest industry outlooks show continued demand but persistent capacity constraints. IATA expects airlines to earn $41 billion in combined net profit in 2026, while the EU reported that SAF represented 2.8% of aviation fuel supplied at Union airports in 2025, above the 2% regulatory target.[3][74]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Aviation & Aerospace Industry

The leading companies in the aviation & aerospace industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

GE Aerospace stands out for aircraft engine installed-base services because it operates an installed base of about 80,000 commercial and military aircraft engines, while Boeing focuses on commercial aircraft because it delivered 600 commercial aircraft and ended 2025 with a $682 billion backlog.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in aircraft engines & services

    GE Aerospace

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.1 · Aircraft engines & services

    Why we picked it: It supports a large engine installed base with commercial and military engines and services.

    See in ranking ↓Visit geaerospace.com ↗

  2. Leader in commercial aircraft manufacturing

    Boeing

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Commercial aircraft manufacturing

    Why we picked it: It combines high delivery volume with a large commercial backlog spanning commercial and defence.

    See in ranking ↓Visit boeing.com ↗

  3. Leader in integrated aerospace & defense systems

    RTX

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Integrated aerospace & defense systems

    Why we picked it: Its stand is built from engine, aerospace systems, and defence businesses under a single umbrella.

    See in ranking ↓Visit rtx.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the aviation & aerospace industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

GE Aerospace

Aircraft engines & services · US

9.1
2

Boeing

Commercial aircraft manufacturing · US

8.9
3

RTX

Integrated aerospace & defense systems · US

8.8
4

SpaceX

Reusable space launch · US

8.7
5

Airbus

Aircraft & defense platforms · NL

8.7
6

Safran

Aircraft engines, equipment, interiors and defence systems · FR

8.7
7

Lockheed Martin

Military aircraft, missiles, space and defence systems · US

8.5
8

Dassault Aviation

Business jets, fighter aircraft and military systems · FR

8.2
9

Embraer

Commercial, executive and defence aircraft · BR

8.2
10

Northrop Grumman

Military aircraft, space, missiles and defence systems · US

8.1

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the aviation & aerospace industry. In Aviation & Aerospace Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aviation-and-aerospace-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

World total passengers carried on international and domestic scheduled services

World total passengers carried on international and domestic scheduled services grew from 4,490 millions in 2019 to 4,669 millions in 2024.

4,490 millions
Start
+0.78%
CAGR · 5y
4,668 millions
Projected
20192024
source-verifiedicao.int2024

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Airlines and airports keep moving from AI pilots to planning and automation spending, with 90% of airlines planning investment in AI for prediction and automation in 2025.

AI in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • Airbus signed a 2026 partnership with Mistral AI covering commercial aircraft, helicopters, defence and space activities.[1]
  • 83% of airlines used AI for operational decisions and passenger services in 2025.[2]
  • 63% of airlines used AI in operations control in 2025 to manage disruption, aircraft assignment and crew availability.[2]
  • 49% of air passengers had used AI to plan or book travel in 2026, according to IATA’s global passenger survey.[3]
  • 49% of airlines identified data integration and consistency as a major barrier to scaling AI in 2025.[2]
  • 51% of airlines used AI to predict delays and disruption in 2025.[2]

Automation in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 46% of airlines were upgrading flight-operations systems in 2025, enabling more automated decision support.[2]
  • 73% of airports planned investment in AI for prediction and automation in 2025.[2]
  • 14% of airlines had a major autonomous-machines program and 40% were running a pilot in the 2019 airline technology survey.[4]
  • 69% of airlines had implemented or were developing a data-lake strategy in the 2019 European air-transport market study.[4]
  • 90% of airlines planned investment in AI for prediction and automation in 2025.[2]
  • 83% of airlines prioritized data-driven decision-making in 2025, a foundation for operational automation.[2]

Digital Transformation in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • 30% of global aerospace and defense organizations had already reduced time to market through digital continuity, with an average 13% reduction, in 2025.[5]
  • 82% of global aerospace and defense organizations say digital-continuity investments help maintain a competitive edge, according to a 2025 survey.[5]
  • 83% of global aerospace and defense organizations agree that digital continuity is a key enabler of strategic business transformation, according to a 2025 survey.[5]
  • 22% of global aerospace and defense companies reported having clean, structured data in a central repository ready for analysis in McKinsey’s digital-maturity study.[6]
  • 60–70% of European aerospace and defense executives expect digital transformation to have a high or very high impact by 2028, while only 20–30% report advanced digital maturity today.[7]

Technology Adoption in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • 27% of aerospace and defense manufacturers reported adopting AI-powered industrial IoT in 2024.[8]
  • 30% of U.S. defense companies reported incorporating no AI into their defense products or services in the 2026 survey.[9]
  • 41% of aerospace and defense manufacturers reported adopting predictive AI in 2024.[8]
  • 61% of aerospace and defense manufacturers reported adopting AI automation, the highest share among sectors surveyed in 2024.[8]
  • 31% of aerospace and defense manufacturers reported adopting generative AI in 2024.[8]

Cloud Computing in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • 52% of European defense-industry executives ranked cloud computing among their top three technologies for augmenting production ramp-up in 2025.[5]
  • 44% of aerospace and defense companies had completed regulatory-compliance planning for cloud adoption, while 52% remained in the planning stage.[10]
  • 38% of aerospace and defense companies had mature cloud practices and tools in place in Accenture’s survey.[10]
  • 20% of European defense-industry executives used cloud computing extensively across more than half of processes and activities in 2025.[5]
  • 60% of aerospace and defense companies expected better security from cloud adoption in Accenture’s survey.[10]

Big Data in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • 29% of aerospace and defense leaders said their enterprise data was standardized, governed and accessible in the 2026 digital-thread study.[11]
  • 28% of aerospace and defense companies reported having a data-use vision or strategy aligned with business objectives in McKinsey’s study.[6]
  • 15% of aerospace and defense companies used digital and analytics for procurement at scale in McKinsey’s study.[12]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data readiness and integration gaps shape AI scale-up, with 49% of airlines citing data integration and consistency as a major barrier to scaling AI in 2025.

Business intelligence in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 83% of airlines identified data-driven decision-making as a strategic priority in 2025 globally.[2]
  • 36.5% of surveyed airlines were at the developing stage of data-strategy maturity in IATA’s 2025 survey.[3]
  • 100% of surveyed North American airlines reported having a data platform in place in SITA’s regional study.[2]
  • 89% of airports identified data-driven decision-making as a strategic priority in 2025.[2]
  • 22.9% of surveyed airlines were at the defined stage of data-strategy maturity in IATA’s 2025 survey.[3]
  • 67% of airlines expected their IT spending to continue growing in 2026, according to the 2025 survey.[2]

Data analytics in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 9.06 hours per day was the average aircraft utilization reported by participating airlines in IATA’s 2024 Maintenance Cost data eXchange.[3]
  • 10.6 years was the average fleet age reported by participating airlines in IATA’s 2024 Maintenance Cost data eXchange.[3]
  • 9% of North American airlines reported already having a large language model in SITA’s regional survey.[2]
  • 42% of airlines were organizing data to support artificial-intelligence initiatives in 2024, according to SITA.[2]
  • More than 60 airline customers were using Boeing’s Safety Data Analytics program by October 2026.[13]
  • 28% of airlines were training artificial intelligence on their own data in 2023, according to SITA’s industry series.[2]

Data Quality in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • 32% of manufacturing leaders globally identified data-quality issues as a barrier to digital-twin adoption in 2025; aerospace respondents were included in the sector analysis.[14]
  • 29% of aerospace and defense leaders said their enterprise data was standardized, governed and accessible in 2026, indicating that 71% lacked this level of data readiness.[15]
  • 68% of aerospace respondents rated data and technology adoption as a priority in 2025, compared with 61% across the overall manufacturing sample.[14]
  • 61% of manufacturing leaders globally said poor data quality limits their ability to adopt and optimize emerging technologies in 2025; aerospace respondents were included in the sector analysis.[14]

Data Governance in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • 55% of security and defense firms used advanced security capabilities, including governance tracking and control, for internal sensitive-content communications in 2024.[16]
  • 38% of defense contractors pursuing CMMC 2.0 Level 2 had comprehensive governance control and tracking systems in 2025, while 62% lacked them.[16]
  • 48% of security and defense firms said they tagged and classified more than three-quarters of their unstructured data in 2024.[16]
  • 42% of defense-organization respondents identified data governance and policies for sharing with external partners as a barrier to AI implementation in 2021.[17]

KPIs in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 5.3% was the increase in global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger-kilometres, during 2025 compared with 2024.[3]
  • 83.6% was the global passenger load factor for full-year 2025, a record according to IATA.[3]
  • 14 minutes was the average delay per UK flight in 2026 in the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s latest quarterly series.[18]
  • 83.7% was the domestic passenger load factor for full-year 2025, according to IATA.[3]
  • 83.5% was the international passenger load factor for full-year 2025, according to IATA.[3]
  • 1.3% of UK flights were cancelled within 24 hours of scheduled departure in 2026 in the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s latest quarterly series.[18]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Capacity and demand forecasts stay tight together: Airbus expects more than 43,000 new passenger and freighter aircraft to be required over the next 20 years.

Growth in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 17,000 aircraft comprise the global commercial aircraft order backlog, equal to almost 60% of the active fleet.[3]
  • 5,300 aircraft represent the estimated delivery shortfall accumulated across the aerospace supply chain.[3]
  • 43,000 commercial passenger and freighter aircraft are forecast to be delivered globally between 2026 and 2045.[19]
  • 2.1% growth in global passenger traffic is forecast for 2026 despite higher energy costs and geopolitical disruption.[3]
  • 10.2 billion passengers are forecast globally in 2026, up 3.9% year on year, according to ACI World.[20]
  • $41 billion in combined net profit is forecast for the global airline industry in 2026.[3]

Differentiation in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 54% is the improvement in aircraft operational efficiency since 1990 cited by Airbus from the ATAG Waypoint 2050 analysis.[1]
  • 10.7% was the 2025 increase in ancillary revenue per passenger among 58 comparable airlines.[21]
  • 27.4 million premium seats were flown by United Airlines in 2025, representing 12% of all flown seats.[22]
  • 13.4% was the 2025 ancillary-revenue growth rate among 58 comparable airlines, versus 7.2% for total revenue.[21]
  • $145 billion in ancillary revenue is forecast for airlines in 2025, alongside $705 billion in passenger revenue.[3]
  • $148.4 billion was the estimated worldwide airline ancillary revenue in 2024.[23]

Mergers and acquisitions in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 15% was the increase in Airbus defence revenue in 2025, supporting portfolio expansion alongside aerospace-industry consolidation.[1]
  • $8.3 billion was Boeing’s stated total value for the Spirit AeroSystems acquisition, including assumed debt and other considerations.[24]
  • $1.2 billion was the reported enterprise value of Onex’s 2005 acquisition of Boeing’s Wichita operations and related facilities.[25]
  • €500 million was Airbus’s 2025 impairment tied to the A220 programme following its acquisition of selected Spirit AeroSystems activities.[1]
  • $900 million in cash was paid by Onex when it acquired Boeing’s Wichita commercial-aircraft facilities in 2005.[25]
  • $9 billion was the approximate enterprise value of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise’s acquisition of Macquarie AirFinance in 2026.[25]

Strategic partnerships in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 290 destinations in the Americas and 80 destinations in Asia are connected through Delta and Korean Air’s partnership at Incheon.[26]
  • 50% was the increase in the share of passengers recommending travel with LATAM and Delta since their partnership launched.[26]
  • 28 routes were included in the Delta–LATAM joint network in 2026.[26]
  • 79.1 billion available seat miles were generated by the Delta–LATAM joint operation between October 2022 and July 2026.[26]
  • 47% was the increase in Delta–LATAM combined capacity in 2026 compared with 2025 after Argentina joined the joint operation.[26]
  • 17.4 million customers were carried by the Delta–LATAM joint venture between October 2022 and July 2026.[26]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce investment follows capability needs, with 28% of aerospace and defense companies investing in artificial-intelligence skills in 2025.

Hiring in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 2,357 new employees were hired by Wizz Air in financial year 2024.[27]
  • 20,534 employees were hired globally by American Airlines in 2024.[28]
  • 19,846 employees were hired in the United States by American Airlines in 2024.[28]
  • 139 employees were hired in Canada by American Airlines in 2024.[28]
  • 1,951 people started work at Munich Airport in 2024.[29]

Employee retention in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • American Airlines recorded 18,713 employee departures globally in 2024, a 13% turnover rate.[28]
  • American Airlines recorded 5,722 involuntary departures globally in 2024, a 4% turnover rate.[28]
  • 461 employees resigned from EVA Air in 2024, producing a 3.9% turnover rate.[30]
  • Munich Airport recorded 1,285 employee departures in 2024.[29]
  • American Airlines recorded 17,833 U.S. employee departures in 2024, a 13% turnover rate.[28]

Remote Work in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. Department of Defense civilian employees, 11.25% of recorded work hours were routine telework in calendar year 2024.[31]
  • Across U.S. Department of Defense civilian employees, 6% of recorded work hours were situational telework in calendar year 2024.[31]
  • Across U.S. Department of Defense civilian positions, approximately 65% to 68% were eligible for telework or remote work during the period reviewed through February 2025.[31]
  • Across U.S. Department of Defense civilian employees, 1.43% of recorded work hours were remote in calendar year 2024.[31]

Hybrid Work in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. workers, 39% worked from home at least some of the time during the week before the Federal Reserve’s 2025 survey.[32]
  • Among U.S. remote-capable employees, 61% preferred hybrid work in November 2025.[33]
  • Among U.S. remote-capable employees, 33% preferred exclusively remote work in November 2025.[33]
  • Across U.S. Department of Defense civilian employees, 81.32% of recorded work hours were in-person in calendar year 2024, indicating limited hybrid-work utilization overall.[31]

Upskilling in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 89% of aerospace and defense companies offered tuition assistance or reimbursement in 2025.[34]
  • 24% of aerospace and defense companies invested in data-science and analytics skills in 2025.[34]
  • 36% of aerospace and defense companies invested in core trade skills in 2025.[34]
  • 28% of aerospace and defense companies invested in artificial-intelligence skills in 2025.[34]
  • 24% of aerospace and defense companies invested in cybersecurity skills in 2025.[34]

Employee Engagement in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across 25 aerospace and defense organizations, 44% reported better employee engagement scores in 2024 than during the prior year.[34]
  • Among NASA civil servants, the 2024 Employee Engagement Index was 84.4% positive across the U.S. space agency workforce.[35]
  • Across 25 aerospace and defense organizations, 32% reported no change in employee engagement scores in 2024.[34]
  • Across 25 aerospace and defense organizations, 16% did not measure employee engagement in 2024.[34]
  • Across 25 aerospace and defense organizations, 8% reported worse employee engagement scores in 2024 than during the prior year.[34]

DEI in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 62% of EVA Air employees were women in 2025.[30]
  • 31% of senior aviation positions at reporting IATA 25by2025 entities were held by women in 2023.[3]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Direct digital channels keep absorbing booking share, with 50% of airline passengers booking through direct digital channels—airline websites or apps—in 2025.

Customer experience in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 685 points was Southwest Airlines’ 2024 North American economy/basic-economy satisfaction score, the highest in that segment.[36]
  • 83 points was the 2024 U.S. airline score for ease of check-in on the ACSI 0–100 scale.[37]
  • 77 points was the U.S. airline customer-satisfaction score in 2024, an all-time high in the ACSI Travel Study.[38]
  • 81 points was the 2024 U.S. airline score for boarding experience on the ACSI 0–100 scale.[37]
  • 81 points was the 2024 U.S. airline score for baggage handling on the ACSI 0–100 scale.[37]

Customer retention in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 9% of American Airlines’ 2024 revenue passenger miles were flown through award travel.[39]
  • 61% of American Airlines’ revenue was contributed by AAdvantage members in 2019.[23]
  • 28% was the average airline share of wallet for non-loyal U.S. airline customers in Cardlytics’ analysis.[40]
  • 95% was the average airline share of wallet for loyal U.S. airline customers in Cardlytics’ analysis.[40]
  • 7% of U.S. airline customers decreased their loyalty segment from one quarter to the next across Q1 2023–Q4 2024.[40]

Customer acquisition in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 931,000 new members joined Cathay’s membership program globally during the first half of 2024.[30]
  • More than 1 million new members joined Qantas Loyalty in the 12 months to financial year 2024.[30]
  • 50% of airline passengers booked through direct digital channels—airline websites or apps—in 2025.[3]
  • 31% of airline passengers used airline websites for booking in 2025, down from 37% in 2024.[3]
  • 73% of airline passengers booked the majority of their flights online in 2025.[3]

Customer loyalty in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 171 billion Qantas Loyalty points were redeemed in financial year 2024.[30]
  • 20% was the increase in Avios redeemed by IAG customers in 2024 compared with 2023.[30]
  • 24% was the increase in Avios earned by IAG customers in 2024 compared with 2023.[30]
  • 130 million members belonged to United Airlines’ MileagePlus program as of 2026.[41]
  • 16 billion Avios were transferred between IAG-related loyalty accounts and partner programs in 2024.[30]

Lead generation in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 47% of B2B marketers in a survey covering transportation and other sectors reported receiving a large portion of leads from in-person events in 2024.[42]
  • 34% of aerospace and defense marketers identified lead generation as their top priority in 2024.[43]
  • 39% of respondents in a 2024 account-based-marketing survey planned to invest in online advertising to attract leads.[44]
  • 50% of respondents in a 2024 B2B survey covering transportation said they struggled to determine event marketing return on investment.[42]
  • 43% of respondents in a 2024 account-based-marketing survey planned to invest in in-person events or trade shows to attract leads.[44]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Channel behavior stays multi-touch before purchase, with 77% of travelers consulting multiple channels before booking air travel in 2024.

Marketing in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 51% of U.S. travelers typically booked international business trips through an airline website, app or airline agent in January 2025.[37]
  • 67% of U.S. travelers typically booked international personal trips through an airline website, app or airline agent in January 2025.[37]
  • 77% of travelers consulted multiple channels before booking air travel in 2024, according to global aviation research.[6]
  • 20.2% was Air New Zealand’s year-over-year increase in advertising spend in Australia from April 2024 to March 2025.[45]
  • $636.7 million was spent on travel and accommodation advertising in Australia from April 2024 to March 2025, up 9% year over year.[45]

Digital marketing in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 50% of air passengers booked through direct digital channels such as airline websites and apps in 2025.[46]
  • 49% of global air-travel bookings by value used airline-direct online channels in 2024, up from 34% in 2016.[6]
  • 77% of airlines rated digital direct channels among their most useful channels for selling ancillary products in a fourth-quarter 2024 survey.[47]
  • 31% of air passengers used airline websites for booking in 2025, down from 37% in 2024.[46]
  • 16% of global air-travel bookings by value used online travel agencies in 2024, up from 13% in 2016.[6]

Branding in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • $906 million was Vietjet’s airline brand value in 2026, after a 117% year-over-year increase.[48]
  • $889 million was Singapore Changi Airport’s brand value in 2026, after a 16% year-over-year increase.[48]
  • $972 million was Heathrow Airport’s brand value in 2026, after a 2% year-over-year decline.[48]
  • 90.2 out of 100 was ANA’s Brand Strength Index score in 2026, the highest among airline brands globally.[48]
  • $1.3 billion was Saudia’s brand value in 2026, after a 20% year-over-year increase.[48]

Social media in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 7,554 was the median number of impressions for an airline Facebook post in the third quarter of 2026.[49]
  • 29% of travelers cited social platforms as a source of travel inspiration in the 2025 global aviation survey.[6]
  • 62.3% of the world’s population used social media in January 2024, according to an airline digital-marketing review.[50]
  • 170,000 followers was the median audience size for both airline Facebook pages and Instagram profiles in the third quarter of 2026.[49]
  • 34,015 was the median number of impressions for an airline Instagram post in the third quarter of 2026.[49]

Influencer Marketing in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • 76% of B2B marketing leaders across six countries believed creator collaborations build brand authenticity in 2025.[51]
  • 58% of B2B marketing leaders across six countries cited authenticity and credibility as criteria for selecting creators in 2025.[51]
  • 55% of B2B marketing leaders across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, India and Australia were using influencers in 2025.[51]
  • 49% of B2B marketing leaders across six countries cited industry relevance as a criterion for selecting creators in 2025.[51]
  • 28% of B2B marketing leaders across six countries ranked thought leaders or industry analysts as the most effective influencer type in 2025.[51]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational constraints remain visible in delay and cancellation rates, with an average 14 minutes of delay per UK flight in 2026 and 1.3% of UK flights cancelled within 24 hours.

Process optimization in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • $200 million was the estimated annual fuel value of aircraft standing idle on the tarmac across more than 5.6 million Airbus A320 flights in 2024.[52]
  • 286 Airbus commercial aircraft were delivered in the fourth quarter of 2025, supporting the company’s annual total of 793 aircraft.[1]
  • 13.5 years was the estimated time needed to clear the commercial aircraft backlog at then-current production rates.[52]
  • 8.5 hours was the average daily aircraft utilization in 2024, the highest level recorded, as airlines maximized fleet use globally.[52]
  • 0.23 litres per 100 available tonne-kilometres was fuel consumption excluding load-factor effects in both 2023 and 2024.[3]

Operational efficiency in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 4.2 million flights were operated by Airbus A321 aircraft globally in 2025, 61.6% more than in 2019.[3]
  • 83.6% was the global passenger load factor in 2025, a record annual level for the airline industry.[3]
  • 5.3% was global passenger demand growth in 2025, measured in revenue passenger-kilometres, while capacity grew 5.2%.[3]
  • 38.9 million flights were forecast for the global airline industry in 2025.[3]
  • 8.7 million flights were operated by Airbus A320 aircraft globally in 2025.[3]

Quality management in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 83% was the global scheduled-services passenger load factor in 2024.[53]
  • 4 fatal accidents occurred in scheduled commercial operations worldwide in 2025.[53]
  • 2.56 accidents per million scheduled departures was ICAO’s global commercial aviation accident rate in 2024.[53]
  • 95 aircraft accidents occurred in scheduled commercial air transport worldwide in 2024.[53]
  • 2.2 accidents per million departures was ICAO’s global commercial aviation accident rate in 2025.[53]

Supply chain in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • $11 billion was the estimated airline cost of aircraft, engine, spare-parts and maintenance supply-chain disruption in 2025.[3]
  • 20%–30% was the increase in narrowbody aircraft leasing rates over 2019 levels reported for 2024.[3]
  • 5%–6% was the airline fleet replacement rate around 2020; supply-chain constraints reduced it to about half that level by 2025.[3]
  • 8,658 commercial aircraft was Airbus’ year-end backlog in December 2024.[1]
  • $3.1 billion of the 2025 supply-chain disruption cost was attributed to additional maintenance costs for older aircraft.[3]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the aerospace and defense sector (sector benchmark)

  • 23.35% of aerospace survey respondents reported manufacturing 51–75% of components in-house, in 2023.[54]
  • 39.68% of aerospace survey respondents reported manufacturing 25–50% of components in-house, implying substantial outsourced production, in 2023.[54]
  • 46% of aerospace companies reported that most supply-chain expenditures were concentrated within their own region, including neighboring countries, in 2024.[55]
  • 53% of aerospace and defense executives expected to reshore or nearshore their suppliers, on average, within the following three years, in 2022.[56]
  • Nearly 60% of US aerospace and defense companies were considering localization strategies, while 15% had developed or navigated reshoring or onshoring strategies, in 2025.[34]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Revenue and profit pressure persist: $23 billion in forecast global airline net profit in 2026 implies a 2.0% net profit margin.

Pricing strategy in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • $380 is the expected average global return airfare including ancillaries in 2025, 1.8% below the 2024 level.[3]
  • 17% of travelers who attempted to buy an airline ancillary in 2025 could not complete the purchase, according to IATA research.[3]
  • $839 billion in passenger ticket revenue is forecast for global airlines in 2026, up 9.2% year over year as fares rise to cover higher fuel costs.[3]
  • $162 billion in air-cargo revenue is forecast globally for 2026, up 7.2% year over year and supported by higher yields.[3]
  • 0.7% is the revised forecast for global air-traffic growth in 2026, increasing pressure on airlines to prioritize yield over volume.[3]

Cost reduction in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • $5 was the average airline payment-processing cost per passenger transaction in 2025.[3]
  • 2.53% was the average payment fee for card transactions processed by airlines in 2025.[3]
  • 99% is the maximum reduction in payment-processing fees reported by airlines using IATA Pay since its launch in 2022.[3]
  • $11 billion is the estimated cost to airlines of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul inefficiencies in 2025.[3]
  • 84.5% of global airline payment costs in 2025, or $20.7 billion, came from payment fees.[3]

Profitability in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • $23 billion is the forecast global airline net profit in 2026, equivalent to a 2.0% net profit margin.[3]
  • $48 billion is the forecast global airline EBIT in 2026, implying a 4.1% operating margin.[3]
  • $4.50 is the forecast global airline net profit per passenger in 2026.[3]
  • €7.1 billion was Airbus’s adjusted EBIT in 2025, up 33% from 2024.[1]
  • $11.5 billion was the net profit of North American airlines in 2024, representing a 3.5% regional net margin.[3]

Financial planning in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • $839 billion is the forecast global airline passenger-ticket revenue for 2026.[3]
  • 870 commercial aircraft is Airbus’s 2026 delivery target.[1]
  • $682 billion was Boeing’s total company backlog at the end of 2025, including more than 6,100 commercial airplanes.[57]
  • €4.5 billion is Airbus’s 2026 target for free cash flow before customer financing.[1]
  • $190 billion was GE Aerospace’s approximate backlog at the end of 2025, after increasing by nearly $20 billion during the year.[58]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Aftermarket and fleet economics stay central while new delivery cycles continue, with Airbus reporting a 2026 delivery target of 870 commercial aircraft.

Product development in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • $2.7 billion was GE Aerospace’s 2024 research and development spending, including customer and partner-funded programs.[58]
  • 47 E2 commercial jets were delivered by Embraer in 2024 as the company advanced its next-generation narrowbody product family.[59]
  • 12.5% was Embraer’s reported E195-E2 fuel-efficiency advantage over its main competitor after product upgrades in 2024.[59]
  • 766 commercial aircraft were delivered by Airbus in 2024 to 86 customers worldwide across the A220, A320, A330 and A350 families.[60]
  • 1,000 gross commercial aircraft orders were recorded by Airbus in 2025 from 57 customers across its product portfolio.[1]

Product lifecycle in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • More than 30% of Europe’s current aircraft fleet is expected to retire during the decade following EASA’s 2023 assessment.[61]
  • 15 years was the average age of the global commercial aircraft fleet in 2024, compared with 13 years before the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
  • 25–30 years is the typical retirement age for passenger aircraft, according to EASA’s aircraft end-of-life assessment.[61]
  • 12.8 years was the average age of passenger aircraft in the global fleet reported by IATA in 2025.[3]
  • 650 commercial aircraft were retired annually on average worldwide during the decade preceding EASA’s 2023 assessment.[61]

After-sales in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • More than 1.2 billion flight hours had accumulated on CFM56 engines by 2024.[58]
  • 18.8 million long-term service agreement engine flying hours were recorded by Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace in 2024.[62]
  • $1 billion was committed by GE Aerospace over five years to expand its global maintenance, repair and overhaul network.[58]
  • 1,313 long-term service agreement shop visits were completed by Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace in 2024.[62]
  • $19.775 billion was GE Aerospace Commercial Engines & Services services revenue in 2024.[58]

Value proposition in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 4,700 nautical miles is the maximum range Airbus reports for the A321XLR single-aisle aircraft.[60]
  • 84.3% was North America’s passenger load factor in 2024, compared with 80.8% in the Middle East.[3]
  • Up to 30% lower operating costs are reported for Embraer’s E-Freighter compared with narrowbody aircraft.[59]
  • 40% more cargo capacity is offered by Embraer’s E-Freighter compared with turboprops used in air logistics.[59]
  • More than 1 billion passengers had flown on Boeing 787 aircraft by January 2026.[57]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

SAF progress is measurable under mandate, with SAF representing 2.8% of aviation fuel supplied at Union airports in 2025, above the 2% regulatory target.

Sustainability in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 45% of IATA members by revenue-tonne-kilometres were represented in TrackZero data in 2024.[3]
  • 1.0% of airline emissions were mitigated through offsets or sustainable aviation fuel in 2024.[3]
  • 124 sustainable aviation fuel offtake agreements had been signed by airlines since January 2022.[3]
  • 933 million tonnes of net CO₂ were emitted by airlines globally in 2024 after mitigation measures.[3]
  • 62% of aviation’s required carbon-emissions reduction by 2050 is expected to come from sustainable aviation fuel under IATA roadmaps.[3]

ESG in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 156,921 people were employed by Airbus at the end of 2024.[1]
  • 4 Airbus Executive Committee meetings were reported for 2024.[63]
  • 7 nationalities were represented on the Airbus board in 2024.[63]
  • 10% of Airbus individual bonus remuneration was linked to ethics and compliance in 2024.[63]
  • 5% of Airbus manager and executive variable remuneration was linked to CO₂ reduction in 2024.[63]

Ethics in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 3,181 Boeing ethics inquiries were reported for the November 2019–October 2020 period.[13]
  • 847 investigative requests were received by Airbus in 2022.[1]
  • 7,128 ethics investigative requests were recorded by Boeing during the November 2022–October 2023 reporting period.[13]
  • Approximately 85% of responding Boeing employees expressed confidence in enforcement of the company’s non-retaliation policy in its latest survey.[13]
  • 1,407 ethics inquiries were recorded by Boeing during the November 2022–October 2023 period.[13]

CSR in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 267 Boeing grants supported STEM education and workforce-development programs in 2020.[13]
  • $234 million was provided in Boeing community giving in 2020.[13]
  • $50 million was contributed by Boeing to grants supporting STEM education and workforce development in 2020.[13]
  • 13,400 community partners were reported by Boeing in 2020.[13]
  • $14.2 million was contributed by Boeing to veterans’ organizations in 2020.[13]

Circular economy in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 68% of materials used in Rolls-Royce manufacturing and production operations was the company’s recycling target for 2025.[62]
  • 1,570,000 trees is the estimated equivalent of the lifetime CO₂ benefit from a Rolls-Royce solar scheme.[62]
  • 80,000 tonnes of annual CO₂ savings are attributed by Rolls-Royce to closed-loop manufacturing processes.[62]
  • 100% of Rolls-Royce civil-aerospace engines are described as capable of flying on blended sustainable aviation fuel.[62]
  • 2.5 Eiffel Towers is the approximate mass represented by Rolls-Royce’s annual use of high-value metal alloys.[62]

Carbon footprint in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 711 million tonnes was the airline sector’s net CO₂ emissions in 2022.[3]
  • 6.7% was the year-on-year increase in airlines’ net CO₂ emissions in 2024.[3]
  • 3.7% was the year-on-year reduction in airlines’ net CO₂ intensity per revenue-tonne-kilometre in 2024.[3]
  • 845 grams of net CO₂ per revenue-tonne-kilometre were emitted by airlines in 2019.[3]
  • 578 grams of net CO₂ per available-tonne-kilometre were emitted by airlines in 2024.[3]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Regional demand and delivery footprints remain uneven, with Asia-Pacific airlines accounting for 33.5% of global passenger traffic in 2024.

Globalization in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • Europe accounted for 26.7% of global passenger traffic in 2024, with traffic increasing 8.7% year over year.[3]
  • Asia-Pacific airlines accounted for 33.5% of global passenger traffic in 2024 and grew traffic by 16.9% year over year.[3]
  • The United States handled 876 million departing or arriving passengers in 2024, the largest national aviation market.[3]
  • 4.7 billion passengers traveled on scheduled services worldwide in 2024, up 7.9% from 2023.[53]
  • 9,097.6 billion passenger-kilometres were generated by global scheduled air transport in 2024.[53]

Cultural adaptation in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • 54% of surveyed air-traffic controllers reported using standard English only in the study of aviation phraseology.[70]
  • 5% of surveyed air-traffic controllers reported using a local language other than English in aviation communications.[70]
  • 26% of surveyed pilots reported using both standard English and another language in aviation communications.[70]
  • 12% of surveyed pilots reported using the local non-English language when communicating in aviation contexts.[70]
  • 54% of surveyed pilots and controllers reported using standard English only, while 41% reported using both standard English and another language.[70]

Supplier management in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • Airbus procurement spans approximately 90 countries as part of the company’s global footprint.[1]
  • 160 suppliers participated in aviation-safety training at Airbus Helicopters’ Marignane centre in France.[1]
  • Boeing reported more than 800 companies in its European aerospace supply chain.[13]
  • Airbus recorded €53 billion in external sourcing volume in 2023.[1]
  • Boeing worked with 40 or more university and research-centre partners in Europe.[13]

Stakeholder management in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • Boeing employed 2,500 highly skilled engineers across its European operations.[13]
  • Airbus Helicopters’ Donauwörth aviation-safety centre hosted more than 2,000 employees for training by 2024.[1]
  • Boeing employed 7,000 people across 12 European countries, supporting customers and working with suppliers and communities.[13]
  • Airbus Helicopters’ Marignane aviation-safety centre hosted close to 190 customers for training by 2024.[1]
  • Boeing distributed $40 million through grants outside the United States.[13]

Distribution channels in the aviation & aerospace industry

  • Airports generated $146 billion in total revenue in 2023, up 21.4% from 2022.[71]
  • Airports generated $54 billion in non-aeronautical revenue in 2023 from retail, dining, parking and other commercial services.[71]
  • Global airport cargo volumes reached an estimated 131 million metric tonnes in 2025, up 3.3% from 2024.[20]
  • Non-aeronautical revenue represented 47% of airport revenue in the Middle East in 2023.[71]
  • Airports generated $79 billion in aeronautical revenue in 2023.[71]

Key questions about the aviation & aerospace industry

How large is the airline revenue market in 2025, and what does IATA forecast for 2026?
The airline industry generated more than $1 trillion in revenue in 2025, according to IATA. In 2026, $839 billion in passenger ticket revenue is forecast for global airlines.
What growth is expected for air traffic in 2026?
Boeing’s 2026 outlook forecasts air-cargo traffic growth of about 3.7% annually through 2045. For 2026, a revised forecast puts global air-traffic growth at 0.7%.
Which companies lead the aviation & aerospace industry?
GE Aerospace stands out for aircraft engine installed-base services because it operates an installed base of about 80,000 commercial and military aircraft engines, while Boeing focuses on commercial aircraft because it delivered 600 commercial aircraft and ended 2025 with a $682 billion backlog.
Where does the AI adoption signal show up first in airline operations and passengers?
In 2025, 83% of airlines used AI for operational decisions and passenger services, and 63% used AI in operations control. In 2026, 49% of air passengers had used AI to plan or book travel, according to IATA’s global passenger survey.
How concentrated is commercial aircraft manufacturing?
Airbus delivered 793 commercial aircraft in 2025 and ended the year with an 8,754-aircraft backlog. Aviation Week’s market summary estimates Airbus and Boeing together will capture about 91% of global commercial-aircraft production by 2028–2029.
What is the state of airline profitability in 2025 and 2026?
IATA forecast airline net profit averaged only $7.20 per passenger in 2025, with a 4.2% 2025 airline net margin. For 2026, IATA expects $41 billion in combined net profit across the global airline industry.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Aviation & Aerospace Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aviation-and-aerospace-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Aviation & Aerospace Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/aviation-and-aerospace-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Aviation & Aerospace Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aviation-and-aerospace-industry-statistics.

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