Demand for aircraft maintenance is rising, but the supply chain and workforce are struggling to keep pace. Industry assessments describe a market where aging fleets, aircraft delivery backlogs, a deepening labor shortage, and parts volatility are reshaping how operators plan maintenance. Carriers are flying older aircraft longer as new deliveries slip, which pushes more work into maintenance, repair, and overhaul shops.
The market is expanding in dollar terms. Global MRO spending is projected to reach roughly $97 billion in 2026, up from about $91 billion in 2025. In the United States, the number of aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul businesses grew to about 3,700 in 2026, an increase of 1.2 percent from the prior year, a sign that demand is broadening rather than contracting.
Regulators are adjusting to the pressure. The Federal Aviation Administration launched a certification program to streamline compliance processes for repair stations, and providers are investing in training and certification to widen the technician pipeline. Digitalization is advancing across the sector, with electronic technical logs and digital signatures reducing administrative burden on technicians.
The binding constraint is capacity. Shops report steady backlogs, and the labor shortage limits how quickly they can expand throughput. That imbalance is driving investment in workforce development and automation as MRO providers try to convert rising demand into completed work without sacrificing safety or turnaround times.
Source: Aeronautical Repair Station Association - https://arsa.org/market-assessment/