The global aerospace maintenance industry now represents roughly $140 billion in annual activity, according to the 2026 Global Fleet and MRO Market Report released by the Aeronautical Repair Station Association on March 18, 2026. The analysis was prepared for the association by Oliver Wyman Vector.

More than 5,000 maintenance companies worldwide employ close to 430,000 people, and each worker accounts for an average of $325,663 in market revenue. The United States holds a concentrated share of that total. Almost 4,000 American firms employ 192,000 people and generate $78.2 billion, which works out to 57 percent more revenue per capita than technicians outside the country produce.

The report frames workforce supply as the binding constraint on growth. Retirements among the last of the baby boom generation have pulled decades of accumulated experience off hangar floors, and replacement hiring carries what the analysis calls a juniority effect, where newer technicians take longer to reach full productivity. Raw material shortages, trade uncertainty and schedule disruption tied to air traffic controller staffing gaps compound the pressure on shops already running near capacity.

Oliver Wyman projects maintenance revenue to grow faster than the global aircraft fleet itself over the forecast horizon. Older airframes require more frequent and more extensive checks, and the newest engine designs have proven more complex to service than earlier generations. Both trends push spending per aircraft upward even in years when fleet counts move only modestly. The association presented the findings during its annual Legislative Day, using the employment and revenue figures to describe the industry's economic footprint to federal lawmakers.

Source: Aeronautical Repair Station Association - https://arsa.org/market-assessment/