Aircraft Braking Systems Market Size & Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

Global Aircraft Braking Systems Market Trends and Insights

Rising Production of Single-Aisle Aircraft

Single-aisles account for 76% of Boeing’s 44,000-unit delivery outlook to 2043, and every aircraft needs multiple multi-disk brake assemblies that demand overhaul after roughly 2,200–2,500 landings.^{[1]Boeing, “Boeing Forecasts Demand for Nearly 44,000 New Airplanes Through 2043,” boeing.com} Safran’s carbon package for the B737 MAX trims 320 kg versus steel designs has become a de facto standard for operators prioritizing fuel-burn savings. Embraer’s order book for 10,500 sub-150-seat jets over 20 years amplifies demand granularity across the lower end of the spectrum. Tier-one suppliers enjoy volume certainty but must balance capacity with volatile narrowbody production rates oscillating with engine part shortages. Production surges also intensify certification gate pressure, favouring brake manufacturers with type-certificate pedigrees across Airbus, Boeing, and regional platforms.

Mandatory Shift to Carbon Brakes for Fuel and Weight Savings

Collins Aerospace demonstrates 700 lb savings on the B737NG using DURACARB disks that last twice as long as steel alternatives.^{[2]Collins Aerospace, “Aircraft Wheels & Brakes,” collinsaerospace.com} Airlines gain payload flexibility and lower CO₂ footprints, anchoring carbon brakes as a compliance imperative under tightening emissions regimes. Higher heat capacity mitigates brake fade on contaminated runways, raising safety margins without redesigning landing gear. Advanced manufacturing, such as automated densification and anti-oxidation coatings, narrows cost differentials, erasing the historical premium barrier. Retrofits across mature fleets generate a sizeable aftermarket tail that sustains revenue streams when OEM production plateaus.

Surge in eVTOL/Urban Air Mobility Programs

The FAA’s powered-lift regulation, effective January 2025, unlocks commercial flight for air taxis and drives specifications for lightweight, electrically actuated brake packs that can handle hundreds of daily cycles.^{[3]Federal Aviation Administration, “Integration of Powered-Lift,” faa.gov} eVTOL designs integrate brake-by-wire to align with all-electric propulsion, reducing fluid leakage risks for rooftop vertiports. Techno-economic models show favourable returns once 3–4 seaters reach 2,000 hours per year, reinforcing a credible volume forecast. Safety standards borrowed from automotive crashworthiness influence redundancy logic in brake controllers, opening opportunities for cross-industry suppliers. Early certification wins will confer enduring platform stickiness because changing flight-critical components post-approval remains costly and time-consuming.

Passenger-Traffic Growth in Emerging Economies

India’s fleet is projected to quadruple by 2043, with 2,835 new aircraft required to service domestic demand above 7% annually. Air-framer backlog translates into corresponding brake assembly pipelines and extensive spares inventories. Runway limitations at secondary airports stress brake-energy dissipation, often prompting conservative swap intervals and higher per-cycle consumption of brake disks. Airlines in these markets also seek turnkey support contracts, pushing suppliers to embed digital twins forecasting part life. Workforce scaling toward 37,000 additional technicians underpins service-network expansion that further elevates brake system opportunities.

Price Volatility of Carbon-Composite Materials

Energy accounts for roughly 40% of carbon-disk production cost, and spikes in European utility rates delayed Safran’s new furnace line by up to two years. Carbon fibre supply rests with a handful of qualified producers, creating leverage that trickles downstream to brake OEMs. Hexcel cited a 6.4% sales decline tied to commercial build-rate uncertainty, underscoring sensitivity to fiber throughput.^{[4]Hexcel Corporation, “Q1 2025 Results,” hexcel.com} Dual-sourcing strategies help, but add overhead because each production site requires separate qualification. Raw-material price gyrations will periodically squeeze margins until alternative precursors or recycling streams gain traction.

Lengthy Certification Cycles for New Brake Tech

The FAA’s 14 CFR 25.735 demands exhaustive kinetic-energy and hydroplaning tests, extending brake clearance beyond normal product-design cycles. Boeing’s B777X program exemplifies the timeline; brake tests began only in 2025 despite the design freeze years earlier. Smaller entrants find the process capital-intensive, effectively fortifying incumbent positions. Divergent EASA and FAA requirements force duplicate testing, further delaying market entry for innovations such as additive-manufactured disks.

Segment Analysis

By Product Type: Carbon Materials Drive Performance Evolution

Carbon brakes controlled 53.45% of the aircraft braking systems market in 2024, thanks to superior energy absorption and a weight profile that can save operators several million USD in annual fuel burn across a narrowbody fleet. Steel remains relevant for legacy regional aircraft where acquisition cost outweighs life-cycle benefits, but its penetration continues to erode. Carbon-ceramic units, combining silicon-carbide (SiC) matrices with carbon fibres, are forecasted to register a 6.57% CAGR to 2030 as airlines chase longer life and corrosion immunity. Therefore, the aircraft braking systems market size for carbon-ceramic platforms is on track to double within the decade.

Disk life-extension processes, such as Collins Aerospace’s recycling-based EDL, improve sustainability and cut waste by 50% while lowering operator expense lines. Research on C/SiC composites indicates friction coefficients above 0.45 at elevated temperatures, hinting at future adoption for widebody programs in conceptual stages. Coatings like Safran’s Anoxy360 further guard against oxidation, promising consistent performance even in humid coastal airports. These incremental innovations collectively strengthen the value proposition for carbon-based technologies, pressuring steel into even smaller niches.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Actuation Method: Electric Systems Challenge Hydraulic Dominance

Hydraulic packs still represent 73.24% of the aircraft braking systems market share because they ride on decades of flight-hour reliability across Airbus and Boeing fleets. Fully-electric assemblies, however, are climbing at an 8.45% CAGR, driven by simplified routing, elimination of fluid leaks, and software-enabled health monitoring. The aircraft braking systems market size tied to fully-electric solutions is projected to crest USD 2 billion by 2030.

Electric brake-by-wire on the 787 illustrates the operational upside: plug-and-play Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) cut turn-time during wheel changes by 30% and feed live wear data into airline dashboards. Crane Aerospace’s Mark V controller adopts quadruple-redundant channels equal to fly-by-wire aileron standards, addressing certification conservatism.^{[5]Crane Aerospace & Electronics, “Mark V Brake-by-Wire,” craneae.com} Electro-hydraulic hybrids bridge retrofits for existing airframes but will gradually surrender share as all-electric narrowbody concepts mature, especially in settings where airlines pursue fully “more-electric aircraft” architectures.

By End User: Commercial Fleets Lead While eVTOL Disrupts

Commercial aviation commanded 63.65% of the aircraft braking systems market in 2024, reflecting the installed base of over 29,000 passenger jets worldwide. Despite that heft, urban air mobility platforms are expected to book the strongest 9.83% CAGR through 2030 as dozens of programs reach Part 23 or Part 27 approval. The aircraft braking systems market size for eVTOLs remains small today, but will expand exponentially once route networks scale.

Major airlines accelerate fleet renewal with A321neo and B737 MAX families that come line-fit with carbon brakes, guaranteeing decades of aftermarket demand. Conversely, eVTOL start-ups demand radically lighter, maintenance-free brake packs compatible with rooftop vertiports and high cycle counts. Military operators maintain a steady but cyclical replacement rhythm anchored by carrier readiness and tactical aircraft upgrades.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Component: Brake Discs Dominate While Valves Enable Smart Systems

Brake discs delivered 49.25% of the 2024 value because they are the primary consumable and must be replaced every few hundred cycles on demanding routes. Although a smaller slice today, valves will achieve a 6.21% CAGR by 2030 as intelligent electro-pneumatic units regulate pressure precisely and incorporate self-diagnostics. One aircraft braking systems market share milestone is valves overtaking wheels within the decade as digitization accelerates.

Additive manufacturing cuts manifold weight by 40% and integrates sensors seamlessly into valve housings, reinforcing the trend toward smart components. Meanwhile, electronics modules that run anti-skid algorithms migrate toward higher-integrity architectures compliant with DO-178C Level A, elevating unit prices and supporting revenue growth beyond raw metal.

Geography Analysis

North America led the aircraft braking systems market with 35.22% share in 2024, anchored by entrenched OEM final-assembly lines and a mature fleet requiring continuous spares. Regional carriers' preference for carbon retrofits further boosts aftermarket volumes. A robust MRO ecosystem spanning Arizona, Oklahoma, and Ohio ensures swift turnaround for wheel-and-brake shops, reinforcing supplier proximity advantages.

Asia-Pacific posted the fastest 5.28% growth rate and is projected to surpass North America in absolute deliveries post-2032. India's fourfold fleet expansion and China's ramp-up of COMAC narrow-bodies underpin a structurally large addressable base. Regional climate diversity, from tropical humidity to Western China's high-altitude strips, pushes brake suppliers to validate performance across a broad operational envelope. This opens niches for material specialists offering tailored oxidation coatings.

Thanks to Airbus production, Europe holds a significant slice, but its growth curve flattens as fleet replacement offsets slower traffic gains. Nevertheless, the European Union's "Fit for 55" emissions targets amplify demand for weight-saving carbon brakes. Though representing a smaller fraction, the Middle East and Africa prioritize robustness against sand ingestion and high-temperature runway operations, sustaining niche specification requirements. South America remains price-sensitive, favouring cost-optimized carbon conversions with extended service intervals.