Today’s commercial aero engine market has been shaped by a small group of manufacturers whose powerplants have accumulated billions of flight hours. In the first of a two-part report, Tom Batchelor surveys the state of play within this often overlooked sector
After decades of investment and innovation, the commercial aviation engine market is demonstrating ever more impressive performance and reliability. The key players include Rolls-Royce, GE Aerospace, and Pratt & Whitney, however the high cost and complexity involved in developing new engine types has also led to bespoke OEM alliances in both the single-aisle and widebody market.
Chief among these is CFM (a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines – formerly known as Snecma – a division of Safran of France) and Engine Alliance (a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney) and International Aero Engines (Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Japanese Aero Engine Corporation and MTU Aero Engines).
According to the CAPA Fleet Database, as of March 2023 there were approximately 27,000 in-service (both active and parked) commercial aircraft, comprising approximately 20,000 narrowbodies and 7,000 widebodies. Of these, 72% of the singl…
