The aviation industry has been experiencing challenge after challenge over the last couple of years. And yet it was able to show resilience in the face of adversity. While we continue to see a gradual recovery of the industry, there still have been some challenges in 2022 that have had a significant impact on various business segments of the aviation industry, aircraft part procurement included.
2022 was marked by a fragile supply chain. “Once airlines began ramping up the operations, maintenance activity has also picked up in most parts of the world,” explains Toma Matutyte, CEO of Locatory.com, an aviation marketplace for aircraft spare parts and repair capabilities and a family member of Avia Solutions Group, leaders in end-to-end capacity solutions for passenger and cargo airlines worldwide. “Aircraft heavy checks that have been put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic have become necessary yet again, increasing the demand for aircraft parts and materials. Unfortunately, during the global aviation crisis, to save much-needed cash, airlines and MRO providers focused on using internal resources first, thus letting their inventories decrease. Now, once the aircraft is returning to operations at a rapid pace, businesses struggle to find required materials.”
During the global pandemic, airlines and aircraft operators delayed or even dropped their new aircraft orders. “This forced suppliers to be left with stranded inventory and eventually prompted them to suspend production and lay off people. In many cases, returning to normal operations for such manufacturers is a long and costly process that further affects the whole aviation industry and its supply chain,” Toma Matutyte shared.
Additionally, the order backlog on industry giants Airbus and Boeing forces airlines to continue depending on the current fleet which requires more upkeep than new aircraft would. “At the end of September quarter Airbus order backlog stood at 7,294 while Boeing had the backlog of over 4,300,” she said.
This challenge of a fragile supply chain, halted aircraft part manufacturing, and long backlogs meant that the aircraft part market has noticed a significant growth period. In 2019, the global aircraft parts market was valued at USD 537.04 Bn and is expected to reach USD 826.01 Bn by 2028 at a CAGR of 4.9% between 2021 and 2028. The global aircraft engine market size is expected to show even faster development. In 2021 it was valued at USD 45.50 Bn, and it is expected to reach a value of USD 104.65 Bn by 2028, at a CAGR of 10.89% between 2022 and 2028.
“Aircraft part market is steadily growing,” explains the CEO of Locatory.com. “Increasing interest from airlines, aircraft operators and lessors impacts not only original aircraft part manufacturers but also secondary aircraft part marketplaces, such as Locatory.com. Over the last couple of years, we saw a significant increase in clientele interest that has been driven in part by the continuous expansion of our spare parts database. Each month it grows by 15% allowing for a wider variety of parts available.”