Aviation Week's early 2026 outlook for the commercial maintenance, repair and overhaul market shows engine spending pulling further ahead of every other category of aircraft aftermarket work. The publication's analysts project total global commercial aftermarket revenue will reach $139 billion in 2026, with engine maintenance work claiming 53% of that total, up from 49% in 2025 and 46% in 2024.

The shift reflects sustained demand for overhaul work on older engine platforms even as manufacturers ramp up new aircraft deliveries. Analysts point to rising labor costs and the growing complexity and expense of parts for newer, more technically sophisticated engine designs as key drivers behind the increase, alongside ongoing supply chain constraints that have pushed operators to keep older aircraft flying longer than originally planned.

Separate industry estimates place the North American aircraft MRO market at roughly $27.88 billion in 2026, up from about $26.76 billion in 2025, with the region continuing to account for close to three in ten dollars spent on commercial aircraft maintenance worldwide. Engine maintenance made up more than 42% of North American MRO revenue in 2025, broadly in line with the global trend toward engine work capturing a larger share of total spending.

The forecast comes as the broader MRO market continues to expand following a stretch of double digit growth, with total global demand climbing from $126 billion in 2024 to roughly $136 billion in 2025 before this year's projected increase.

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