Commercial Aircraft Engines Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Commercial Aircraft Engines Market Trends and Insights

APAC Fleet Expansion Led by LCCs

Low-cost carriers in India, Vietnam, and Indonesia continue to order single-aisle aircraft at volumes that exceed historic delivery averages. IndiGo’s 500-unit A320neo family order and VietJet’s 100-unit A321neo commitment underscore a structural rise in passenger traffic in the region, prompting engine makers to pre-position MRO capacity in Bangalore, Ho Chi Minh City, and Jakarta. Daily utilization exceeding 12 hours accelerates hot-section wear, which pulls forward shop-visit schedules and stabilizes aftermarket demand. Engine suppliers are therefore earmarking narrowbody spare-engine pools for Asia-Pacific operators to mitigate dispatch reliability risks. The commercial aircraft engine market benefits from the fact that every frame requires two propulsion units, along with corresponding multi-year service agreements.^{[1]Airbus, “AirAsia orders 100 A321neo aircraft,” airbus.com}

Accelerated Narrow-Body Replacement with Fuel-Efficient Engines

United Airlines, Southwest, and European carriers are retiring CFM56-7B and V2500-A5 engines well ahead of their economic life to capture 15-20% fuel-burn savings from LEAP-1B and PW1100G successors. Surging jet-fuel costs have sharpened payback periods, making rapid fleet turnover economically rational. Early retirements, however, inject a wave of used serviceable material into secondary parts channels, depressing OEM spare-part pricing and nudging engine makers to emphasize digital-service revenue. Accelerated replacements also compress certification timetables for thrust-rating changes, pressuring engineering teams but reinforcing the value proposition of next-generation engines. Consequently, commercial aircraft engine market players are bundling long-term power-by-the-hour contracts to lock in predictable margins.

Ageing Fleet Pushing Engine-MRO Demand

Global average fleet age reached 12.3 years in 2025. Airlines that deferred new-aircraft deliveries during the pandemic must now shoulder elevated maintenance liabilities, driving a 35% year-over-year rise in CFM56 shop visits at Lufthansa Technik. OEM and independent MRO expansions in Singapore, San Antonio, and Hamburg are targeting this backlog. At the same time, proprietary repair techniques such as high-pressure turbine-blade coatings allow certain shops to charge price premiums. The sustained maintenance intensity underpins a resilient aftermarket revenue floor even if new-build deliveries slow. As a result, the commercial aircraft engine market is deriving an increasing share of EBIT from overhaul activities rather than hardware sales.^{[2]Lufthansa Technik, “Q2 2025 shop-visit surge,” lufthansa-technik.com}

Unscheduled PW1100G and LEAP Shop-Visit Surge

Powder-metal contamination in PW1100G turbine disks and premature combustor-liner wear on LEAP engines have prompted unexpected removals, resulting in the grounding of scores of A320neo and 737 MAX jets. OEM capacity constraints created overflow demand, which was captured by independents such as StandardAero, which opened a dedicated GTF repair line to absorb the excess work. Airlines negotiating risk-transfer clauses now place greater emphasis on guaranteed turnaround times and on-wing durability metrics, shrinking engine-sale margins by 150–200 basis points. In parallel, spare-engine leasing rates increased, prompting carriers to diversify their engine selections to hedge against availability risks. These knock-on effects reinforce the commercial aircraft engine market’s pivot to service-centric value capture.^{[3]StandardAero, “GTF repair line opens in San Antonio,” standardaero.com}

Persistent Forge and Casting Supply Bottlenecks

High-pressure turbine disks and nickel-alloy forgings remain the rate-limiting factor across LEAP and GTF production lines. GE Aerospace, Safran, and Pratt & Whitney have responded by acquiring equity stakes in forging houses and expanding their additive-manufacturing footprints, thereby bypassing capacity shortfalls for non-critical parts. Despite these measures, a 15-20% supply gap in 2025 delayed multiple engine shipments, compelling airframers to revise their delivery schedules. Medium-term relief hinges on new press capacity and the qualification of powder-metal billets, but vertical integration will likely increase capital intensity for prime contractors. This bottleneck keeps commercial aircraft engine market lead times extended into 2027.^{[4]Safran, “Safran acquires stake in Aubert & Duval,” safran-group.com}

Escalating Certification and R&D Costs

FAA and EASA scrutiny of FADEC software and high-bypass architectures has lengthened certification cycles to 36 months, pushing CFM’s RISE program past USD 1.2 billion in cumulative R&D outlays. Only scale players with multi-billion-dollar cash flows can absorb such burdens, reinforcing market oligopoly. Smaller aspirants have shifted toward business-jet niches with lower regulatory thresholds. Elevated development costs raise entry barriers, but they also encourage platform exclusivity agreements that secure decades of spares revenue. Consequently, the commercial aircraft engine industry is concentrated around a handful of conglomerates that can amortize these investments across a broad installed base.

Segment Analysis

By Engine Type: Turbofan Dominance Meets Turboprop Resurgence

Turbofan platforms supplied 57.76% of 2025 revenue in the commercial aircraft engine market. Narrowbody variants, such as the LEAP-1A/B and PW1100G families, remain production workhorses, whereas widebody programs, like the Trent XWB and GE9X, underpin long-haul growth. Turboprops, however, are on a 4.24% CAGR trajectory as regional carriers refresh ATR 42/72 fleets with PW127XT-M powerplants that deliver 3% lower fuel burn and 50% cabin noise reduction.

Growth polarity is evident: developing economies favor turboprops for short-range connectivity, while network airlines in Europe retire Dash 8 fleets for high-capacity regional jets. OEMs respond by bundling fuel-efficiency upgrades with maintenance-cost caps to entice operators who balance capital expenditures (capex) and operating expenditures (opex) trade-offs. Engine manufacturers are increasingly promoting the readiness of sustainable aviation fuel, even in the turboprop segment, to future-proof asset values. As such, the commercial aircraft engine market continues to diversify propulsion portfolios to cover both jet-dense and prop-centric route structures.

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

By Aircraft Type: Narrowbody Supremacy, Regional Jet Acceleration

Narrowbody engines represented 61.27% of the 2025 commercial aircraft engine market share on the back of A320neo and 737 MAX deliveries. Regional-jet engines, though smaller in unit value, are set for a 5.3% CAGR as Embraer’s E2 family gains traction among carriers serving thin routes where widebodies or high-capacity single-aisles are uneconomical.

Fleet planners in Southeast Asia and Latin America prefer sub-150-seat jets to balance load factors and frequency, boosting PW1700G and PW1900G demand. Conversely, fleet densification in North America sees major airlines up-gauging to A321neo, requiring marginal thrust enhancements. Such dual dynamics sustain a healthy pipeline for both large and small thrust classes within the commercial aircraft engine market, ensuring balanced aftermarket workloads.

By Technology: Conventional Architectures Persist, Hybrid-Electric Emerges

Conventional turbofan/turboprop designs secured 38.45% of 2025 revenue, reflecting the vast in-service CFM56, V2500, and PW100 fleets. Hybrid-electric demonstrators, however, hold the highest growth outlook at 5.21% as NASA’s X-57 and Collins Aerospace’s 1-MW motor validate distributed propulsion concepts.

Regulatory uncertainty persists: EASA standards for electric systems exceeding 500 kW remain under development, potentially delaying the entry into service of large aircraft. Still, OEMs hedge with incremental technology, gear systems, CMC internals, and open-fan designs, to secure double-digit efficiency gains absent full electrification. This measured path maintains a robust conventional backlog while positioning the commercial aircraft engine market for a smoother transition once certification guardrails mature.

By Thrust Class: Mid-Range Dominance, Ultra-High-Thrust Growth

Engines rated 25,001–50,000 lbf delivered 41.34% of 2025 revenue and anchor the commercial aircraft engine market size for single-aisle programs. The greater than 50,000 lbf bracket is forecast to grow at a 4.87% CAGR, driven by orders for the GE9X and Trent XWB-97 engines supporting the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350-1000 fleets.

Ultra-high-thrust programs form a strategic moat, as metallurgical hurdles lock out newcomers. Meanwhile, the 10,001–25,000 lbf category retains relevance for regional jets and large turboprops, ensuring balanced industrial loading across facilities. OEMs therefore maintain dual competencies, servicing both high-volume, mid-thrust engines and capital-intensive, widebody giants within the commercial aircraft engine market.

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

By Engine Component: Turbine Sections Lead, Compressor Modules Accelerate

Turbine hardware comprised 45.87% of 2025 revenue, underscoring the cost concentration in single-crystal blades operating above 1,600 °C. Compressor assemblies are projected to grow at a 4.21% CAGR as additive manufacturing trims weight by 15% on LEAP modules and slashes lead times by 40%.

CMC adoption in nozzles and shrouds raises thermal ceilings, allowing for hotter core temperatures and improved fuel burn without the need for exotic alloys. Gearboxes unique to PW1000G engines remain a niche but commercially crucial subset, delivering 12% higher bypass ratios. Collectively, these advances enhance durability and efficiency, sustaining aftermarket revenue as each upgrade cascades through the installed commercial aircraft engine base.

By End-User: OEM Factory-Fit Leads, Aftermarket Surges

Factory-fit shipments accounted for 61.35% of 2025 demand thanks to record Airbus and Boeing narrowbody output. The replacement/aftermarket channel, however, is advancing at a 4.92% CAGR as power-by-the-hour arrangements shift maintenance risk from operators to OEMs. Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare covered 70% of its Trent fleet in 2025, delivering greater than 20% EBIT margins.

Independents, such as Lufthansa Technik and ST Engineering, leverage used, serviceable material to undercut OEM shops by 20-30% on mature engines. This competition intensifies pricing pressure yet broadens service accessibility, reinforcing the commercial aircraft engine market’s transition toward lifecycle-service economics over hardware margins.

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific generated 36.87% of 2025 revenue for the commercial aircraft engine market, anchored by IndiGo’s and VietJet’s blockbuster A320neo orders that drove engine demand exceeding USD 30 billion. Fleet expansion responds to rising middle-class travel and liberalized air-service agreements, compelling OEMs to invest in localized MRO hubs to secure future maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) streams.

North America is projected to record a 4.55% CAGR through 2031, as United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines collectively firm more than 500 single-aisle orders in 2025. The trend is replacement-driven: carriers retire CFM56-powered 737-800s to capitalize on LEAP-1B fuel efficiency, simultaneously releasing used, serviceable material that reshapes parts pricing. Europe, with a 24% share in 2025, benefits from Toulouse- and Hamburg-centric Airbus output, while Wizz Air’s diversification to LEAP engines exemplifies risk-mitigation strategies amid PW1100G supply issues.

The Middle East contributes a significant share of revenue, but widebody weighting lifts ASPs: Emirates’ 205-unit 777X deal alone underwrites USD 15 billion in GE9X business. South America and Africa remain small yet strategic, favoring turboprops and regional jets for short-haul connectivity; Azul’s ATR 72-600 purchase illustrates this niche. China, representing 18% of the Asia-Pacific market, pursues self-sufficiency via AECC’s CJ-1000A, signaling a potential bifurcation of global supply chains post-2028. Mature US fleets generate outsized aftermarket volumes, reinforcing North America’s status as the commercial aircraft engine market’s service revenue anchor.