Utility Aircraft Market Research Report: Information by Type (Fixed-Wing and Rotary-Wing [Light, Medium Lift, and Heavy Lift]), Application (Commercial [Agriculture, Air Freight, Passenger Transportation, Medical Support, and Others] and Non-commercial [Peacekeeping, Search & Rescue, Firefighting, Military Logistics, Air Assault, Command & Control, Troop Transportation, andHumanitarian Aid]), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa,and Latin America)—Forecast till 2027

Utility Aircraft Market Overview

By 2027, the utility aircraft market is expected to develop at a CAGR of 4.2 percent. Amplified spending on long-term initiatives, such as upgrading military equipment and aircraft and heavy investments in R&D. China is the world's second-largest military spender, with a projected military budget of USD 252 billion in 2020. Despite the pandemic's negative impact on GDP growth, most countries continued to strengthen their military capabilities by purchasing modern utility planes and innovative military weapons, among other things.

Military modernization programs and increased spending by several countries to enhance their aircraft fleets and replace old aircraft and the increasing use of aircraft in various fields such as firefighting, agriculture, sports activities, and others are the primary factors driving the market growth. The utility aircraft market is growing because of military modernization plans and increased investment by developing and developed countries. Furthermore, the utility aircraft market is expected to benefit from the wide range of utility aircraft applications in various industries, such as firefighting, sporting activities, and agriculture, among others, throughout the projected period. Furthermore, the use of utility aircraft is supporting its market demand; it can be used in a variety of ways depending on the situation, such as transporting people and other supplies, and the same aircraft can be used in place of large and heavy (specialized) aircraft when they are not available or are not required.

COVID-19 Analysis

According to MRFR, the current global utility aircraft market growth projections until 2027 are expected to be lower than pre-COVID-19 estimates. The pandemic has had a devastating negative impact on the aviation and defense industry across the world. The operations in the aviation transport industries were significantly affected, which in turn impacted the growthutility aircraft market. The demand for utility aircraft declined, causing losses in the commercial segment sales for the manufacturers involved.

Many governments across the globe are focused on controlling COVID-19 outbreaks in their countries. Hence, they are investing more in healthcare equipment and production and/or purchase of vaccines. Therefore, the expenditures on new utility aircraft are expected to be lower than the pre-COVID estimates for the next few years. As the global economy is slowly recovering, the demand is likely to reach pre-COVID levels in a couple of years.

Thus, it is expected that the global utility aircraft market will grow at a relatively slower rate (compared to pre-COVID figures) in the first couple of years and grow at afaster ratelater.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

• Increasing Military Expenditure

Over the last decade, the world has witnessed substantial growth in capital expenditure from governments across the globe to bolster their military strength. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic shock to the global GDP growth, the defense budgets and revenues are likely to remain stable, in general, for defense contractors during the study period. As per SIPRI, the global military expenditure increased to USD 1,981 billion in 2020, an increment of 2.6% from 2019.

The military expenditure of the US alone accounted for USD 778 billion in 2020, registering a rise of 4.4% in 2019 and a dominant share of 39.27% in the global military spending in 2020. Heavy investments in R&D and increased expenditure in long-term projects, including modernization of military equipment and aircraft. With an estimated military expenditure of USD 252 billion in 2020, China is the second-largest military spender. Despite the shock to the GDP growth due to the pandemic, most of the countries continued to bolster their military capabilities in 2020 through the acquisition of modern utility aircraft and advanced military equipment, among others. The major economies are expected to continue spending on the development and acquisition of advancedutility aircraft for various applications, including logistics, command & control, air assault, thereby driving the growth of the global utility aircraft market in the coming years during the forecast period.

Opportunities

• Increasing Demand for Rapid Delivery and Growing E-Commerce Industry

The e-commerce industry has witnessed rapid growth in the past decade. Propelled by technological advancements, the e-commerce industry has come a long way, saving consumers time and hassle and improving their retail experience. Rapid delivery has been the focus of frictionless e-commerce operations. Logistic partners or divisions of e-commerce companies have upscaled their delivery capacities and capabilities to meet the growing demand for rapid delivery and maintain a competitive position in the market,and this is where the utility aircraft come into play. In order to provide same-day delivery to its customers, the authorities have started adopting utility aircraft. Thus, increasing demand for rapid delivery and the growing e-commerce industry presents lucrative opportunities for players operating in the global utility aircraft market.

Restraints

• High Cost of Aircraft Engines

The cost of utility aircraft has been on the rise, which can be primarily attributed to the improvements in engineering & manufacturing operations for efficiency optimization.The high cost of structural components & assemblies has been the primary cost factor for utility aircraft.

For typical utility aircraft, aircraft engines comprise a significant portion of overall aircraft cost. With a focus on improvement in engine design to improve engine performance, the cost of aircraft engines has significantly risen. Thus, the high cost of aircraft engines is expected to restrain the growth of the global utility aircraft market.

Cumulative Growth Analysis

• Introduction of Technologically AdvancedAircraft Engines to Bolster Market’s Growth Rate

The global utility aircraftmarket growth is expected to be at a rate of 4.2% over the analysis period (between 2021 and 2027) on account of the introduction of technologically advanced aircraft engines.

Supply Chain Analysis

The supply chain of the utility aircraft market primarily comprises five stages – inputs, design & development, output, sales & distribution, and post-sales services.In the inputs stage, the utility aircraft and aircraft component manufacturers work on new technologies and do the necessary research pertaining to their feasibility to improve the quality of the products and work on features that meet the consumer needs. The next stage is that of design & development. This process involves inquiries about the quality of raw materials and their cost. The stage is characterized by primarily four steps — conceptualization, product designing, product development, and testing to ensure quality standards. The output is utility aircraft. These aircraft are then sold through distribution channels, consisting of intermediaries, direct selling, online channels, and others. The last stage is post-sales services which include system support and training provided by the manufacturers themselves or partner companies.

Segment Overview

By Type

• Continuously Rising Demand for Utility Helicoptersto Bolster Demand for Rotary-Wing Type

The global utility aircraft market based on type has been segmented into fixed-wing and rotary-wing.

The rotary-wing segment is likely to register significant growth during the forecast period due to the continuously rising demand for utility helicopters. Utility helicopters are used for a wide range of military applications, such as military logistics, air assault, command & control, and troop transportation. Additionally, these are used for firefighting and humanitarian aid.

By Application

• Increasing Use of Utility Aircrafts for Military Applications to Propel the Demand for Non-Commercial Segment

Based on application, the global utility aircraft market has been classified into commercial and non-commercial.

The non-commercial segment is forecasted to register considerable growth in the coming years, owing to the increasing usage of utility aircraft for various military applications, including logistics, command & control, and air assault.

Regional Analysis

• North America Accounted for the Largest Market Share

Over the last decade, North America witnessed strong growth in the demand for utility aircraft and is likely to continue dominating the global market during the forecast period. The US is the key contributor to the robust growth in the North Americanutility aircraft market, which can be attributed to the country’s mammoth military spending. The US has been, and continues to be, the country with the world’s largest military expenditures and revenues. Along with being the world’s largest military spender, the country is also home to the world’s leading utility aircraft manufacturers, making it the leading market for utility aircraft.

The region is home to some of the leading utility aircraft manufacturers, such as Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bombardier Inc., and Textron Inc. Additionally, the US military has been investing heavily in the design and development of utility aircraft for enhancing its military capabilities. The country’s military expenditure alone accounted for nearly 39% of global military expenditure in 2020, with a significant portion being spent on military modernization, including new utility aircraft. Therefore, with US spendingonthe acquisition of new utility aircraft, the North America utility aircraft market is expected to witnessrobust growth during the study period.

APAC Forecasted to Grow at the Fastest Rate as China Takes the Lead

Asia-Pacific utility aircraft market is estimated to grow at the fastest rate, owing to the growing air freight demand and increasing military spending by major economies in the region. The region is one of the largest and most diverse regions in the world and consists of major established and emerging economies. The region is comprised of five sub-regions ― China, Oceania, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. These sub-regions are characterized by their own unique market dynamics.

China leads the Asia-Pacific utility aircraft market, primarily attributed to its substantial military spending, which is highest in the region and second highest in the world. As per to SIPRI, China alone accounted for almost USD 252 billion in 2020, an increment of 1.9% over 2019. Most of China’s military expenditure has been towards long-term military modernization and large-scale acquisition of military aircraft and equipment. Thus, the APAC utility aircraft market is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

Significant Investments by Players to Intensify Competition

The global utility aircraftmarket is expected to grow significantly in the coming years due to increasing defense expenditure and technological advancements in aircraft engine design. The global utility aircraftmarket is characterized by the presence of several global and regional vendors. The market is highly competitive, with all the players trying to gain maximum market share. Frequent changes in government policies, intense competition, and government regulations are the key factors that impact the global market growth. The vendors compete based on cost, product quality, and reliability.

Lockheed Martin Corporation is a leading aerospace & defense company that designs, develops, manufactures, and integrates advanced defense products and aircraft. It also offers a wide range of services, including engineering, technical, scientific, logistics, and cyber security services, and caters to military, civil, and commercial industries. Other than the US, the company operates through offices located in Canada, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and Russia. Lockheed Martin Corporation operates in the following reportable segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control (MFC), Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS), and space systems.

The global utility aircraft market has a few international and regional established players. The established players in the market are working towards expanding their product portfolio either through partnering with or acquiring another prominent aircraft component manufacturer in the market. The players in the market are working towards improving their operational capabilities, thereby reducing the cost of their product offerings and increasing their revenues while also intensifying the market competition.

List of Key Companies Covered in this Report

• Lockheed Martin Corporation (US)


• Airbus S.A.S. (Netherlands)


• Bombardier Inc. (Canada)


• Textron Inc. (US)


• Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy)


• Changhe Aircraft Industries Group Co. Ltd. (China)


• Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co., Ltd. (China)


• Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. (Italy)


• Daher Aerospace, S.A. de C.V. (France)


• United Aircraft Corporation (Russia)

Recent Developments

• Mar 2022 Tunisia's Air Force will receive four Cessna Grand Caravan EX utility planes to its arsenal, bolstering its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. ATI Engineering Services has awarded a contract to Textron Aviation, the Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft producer, to provide the utility planes. ATI Engineering Services will outfit the plane with an electro-optical/infrared sensor, tactical radio, operator console, video data link, and night-vision compatible lighting to achieve the criteria.


• Mar 2022 Airmen from the United States Air Force got up and personalized with the Japanese ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft during the recent Cope North exercise. Despite their inability to hover or land vertically, they can compete with helicopters for specific missions at a fraction of the cost. The US-2 has captivated the curiosity of the entire US Air Force in recent months. Iwakuni Air Facility is unique in that it is the only JMSDF airbase that operates the US-2 amphibious sea rescue aircraft, the MCH-101 airborne mine countermeasures, and transport aircraft the OP-3C utility aircraft with an image data collecting system.

Objectives of the Study

• To provide comprehensive information about the utility aircraft industry and its sub-segments in the global market, thereby providing a detailed structure of the industry


• To provide insights into the factors driving and restraining the growth of the global utility aircraft market


• To identify the major players operating in the global utility aircraft market and their growth strategies


• To identify the key developments in the global utility aircraft market over the recent years

Report Overview

Scope of the Report

The scope of the report highlights drivers, opportunities, and restraints surrounding the global market. With easy-to-comprehend segmentation that includes type,application, as well as region, MRFR projections are on the basis of historical as well as expected trends. Major firms active in the global market have been profiled as well, paired with the top strategies employed by them to remain competitive in the industry.

Segmentation Table

• Fixed-Wing


• Rotary-Wing
  
  
  
  • Light
  
  
  • Medium Lift
  
  
  • Heavy Lift
  
  
  
  

• Commercial
  
  
  
  • Agriculture
  
  
  • Air Freight
  
  
  • Passenger Transportation
  
  
  • Medical Support
  
  
  • Others
  
  
  
  


• Non-Commercial
  
  
  
  • Peacekeeping
  
  
  • Search & Rescue
  
  
  • Firefighting
  
  
  • Military Logistics
  
  
  • Air Assault
  
  
  • Command & Control
  
  
  • Troop Transportation
  
  
  • Humanitarian Aid
  
  
  
  

Intended Audience

• Utility Aircraft Manufacturers


• Utility Aircraft Component Manufacturers


• Defense Contractors


• Distributors


• Research Organizations


• Consulting Firms


• System Integrators