Airbus Forecasts Services Market Rising to $420 Billion by 2045 as Fleet Grows to 45,550 Aircraft
Why It MattersAirbus is positioning aftermarket services, workforce training and digital connectivity as long-term growth pillars, which reinforces the manufacturer's push to capture lifecycle revenue beyond aircraft sales.
Airbus has published its 2026-2045 Global Services Forecast, which anticipates that passenger numbers will double to 10 billion over the next 20 years. The aviation services market currently supports more than 29,000 aircraft and is expected to reach US$209 billion. By 2045, it will need to support a world fleet of 45,550 aircraft, with an estimated value of US$420 billion.
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, North America and China are expected to remain the largest services markets, while Asia, encompassing Asia-Pacific, China and South Asia, is projected to be the fastest-growing. The forecast estimates a need for 2.44 million additional skilled people: 730,000 maintenance technicians, 660,000 pilots and over one million cabin crew. Airbus puts the training market for these workers at US$17 billion in 2045 and has called on the industry to intensify efforts in attracting and training workers using new technologies and advanced techniques.
Growth is also predicted in off-wing maintenance, driven by engine removals as fleets age and expand, and in on-wing maintenance, from light inspections to heavier checks, which the forecast separates from maintenance operations support, defined as timely inventory with engineering support. Modifications and upgrades of older aircraft, through cabin retrofits and modern technology integration, are seen as another growth area. The fastest-growing segment is Digital and Connectivity, which Airbus says could triple over the next twenty years to US$27 billion. Cristina Aguilar Greider of Airbus said the company is expanding its role as an integral services partner supporting customers across the entire aircraft lifecycle.
