Aircraft Engine & Parts Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry manufacture aircraft engines and engine parts; as well as fuselage, propeller and rotor, landing gear, electric and hydraulic control, and avionics systems. Major companies include GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney (both based in the US); as well as Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan), Rolls-Royce (UK), and Safran and Thales (both based in France).

Top exporting countries include Canada, Japan, Mexico, and the UK. The industry is dominated by large players that typically maintain manufacturing operations around the world. Demand for aircraft parts is driven by new orders for commercial, military, and general aviation aircraft, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services.

The US aircraft engine and parts manufacturing industry includes about 1,350 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $74 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Rapid changes in technology and geographic shifts in demand are affecting how and where aircraft engine and parts manufacturers compete. Amid passenger and cargo demand growth in emerging markets, companies are forging global partnerships to share risks, costs, and sales, and to increase their manufacturing and support services footprints. Technologies including additive manufacturing, the internet of things (IoT), and big data are increasingly important competitive differentiators. Engine and parts companies aim to leverage these and other technologies to reduce aircraft operating costs and improve their own cost structures.

Exports are an important source of revenue and include replacement ...