The US aviation maintenance and parts manufacturing sector supports nearly 288,000 Americans and produces more than $52 billion in economic activity each year, according to the Aeronautical Repair Station Association's 2025 Global Fleet and MRO Market Report. FAA-certificated repair stations are the largest employers in the sector, with just under 194,000 workers in US facilities.
Despite that scale, ongoing supply chain disruptions are constraining the sector's ability to grow. Raw material shortages, geopolitical volatility, and competing demand from military and defense programs have slowed the pace of commercial maintenance capacity expansion. Delayed maintenance from the pandemic era and the extended 737 grounding between 2019 and 2023 created a backlog effect that continues to stretch schedules and extend aircraft turnaround times.
The workforce pipeline adds a separate challenge. About 41% of certified aircraft mechanics in the United States are over the age of 60, and approximately 45,000 mechanics are expected to retire over the next decade. The 2025 aviation year saw a 10% shortage of certificated mechanics. The pace of new technician hiring has not been sufficient to offset those retirements, according to industry analysts.
ARSA also announced upcoming workshops for 2026 focused on new Airman Certification Standards for maintenance technicians and regulatory engagement between government personnel and the repair station community.
Source: Aeronautical Repair Station Association -- https://arsa.org/market-assessment/