Engine maintenance is projected to account for 53 percent of the 139 billion dollar global commercial aftermarket in 2026, up from 49 percent in 2025 and 46 percent in 2024, according to Aviation Week's latest MRO forecast. Total commercial MRO spending has climbed 40 percent since 2019 even as global fleet capacity grew only 10 percent over the same period, a gap driven largely by airlines keeping older aircraft in service longer than originally planned.

Total MRO sales are projected to rise 10.9 percent in 2026, led by an 11.7 percent increase in engine maintenance spending and an 11.6 percent increase in component work, according to a survey of more than 40 aftermarket providers conducted by RBC Capital Markets. Supply chain constraints tied to scarce spare parts and extended engine turnaround times cost airlines an estimated 3.1 billion dollars in additional maintenance expenses in 2025, per an Oliver Wyman analysis prepared for the International Air Transport Association. Airlines also spent an additional 1.4 billion dollars on excess parts inventory and 2.6 billion dollars on excess engine leases to offset the same constraints.

Large US-based engine shops, including Delta TechOps' Atlanta facility and other domestic providers ramping up CFM Leap and Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan overhaul capacity, are among the operations absorbing a growing share of this engine-driven aftermarket growth as newer engine families reach their first major overhaul cycles.

Source: Aviation Week — https://aviationweek.com/mro/supply-chain/early-2026-outlook-shows-mro-market-momentum-increasing