Aircraft Engine & Parts Manufacturing Industry Profile

The US aircraft engine and parts manufacturing industry includes about 1,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $60 billion. Major companies in the engine and engine parts segment include GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, and the US operations of Rolls-Royce. The remainder of the aircraft parts manufacturing industry includes companies such as Honeywell and Northrop Grumman. Both segments are highly concentrated.

Major aircraft engine and parts companies based outside the US include Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan); Rolls-Royce (UK); and SAFRAN, Thales, and Zodiac (France).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for commercial, military, and private airplanes drives the aircraft parts industry. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and the ability to secure long-term contracts. Small companies can compete by specializing in high-end, low-volume, or hard-to-find parts, or in production of low-price commodity parts. Large companies have economies of scale in production and purchasing. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue per employee is about $350,000.

Exports are an important source of revenue and include replacement parts for US-made airplanes that are being used and serviced abroad, as well as aircraft engines and parts. Major export destinations for US aircraft parts and engines are Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Top countries of origin for US imports of aircraft parts are Japan, Canada, and the UK; most engine and engine parts imports originate from Canada, France, and the UK.