Commercial aviation aftermarket revenue reaches $139 billion in 2026, and engine work claims 53% of that spending, according to Aviation Week Network's Commercial Fleet and MRO Forecast.

The same forecast puts 10-year aftermarket demand above $1.6 trillion. Reaching that figure involves more than 21,000 new aircraft deliveries, retirements, and freighter conversions between 2026 and 2035, which lifts the active in-service commercial fleet to about 45,000 aircraft by the end of 2035 from a little over 34,600 in 2026. Fleet growth across the period runs at a 3% compound annual rate, so maintenance spending climbs faster than the number of airplanes generating it.

Engine work drives most of the increase. Aviation Week expects CFM Leap-family engine maintenance to expand at a 13% compound annual rate over the next decade as the first wave of those engines reaches heavy shop visits. Engine maintenance worldwide totals $848 billion across the 2026 to 2035 window, with Europe accounting for $180 billion, or 21% of the global total.

Cost pressure runs alongside the volume. Oliver Wyman's parallel forecast reports the average age of the global fleet approached 13 years in 2025, about 18 months older than a year earlier, as production stayed 24% below 2019 levels and airlines pushed older airframes harder. Older fleets carry higher shop visit rates and longer turn times, which feeds directly into parts and labor pricing at US repair stations.

Source: Aviation Week Network - https://aviationweek.com/mro/aircraft-propulsion/new-aviation-week-forecast-projects-record-engine-mro-growth