Undoubtedly, the aviation and aerospace sector has had a great impact on the countries of the world over the past few decades. From travel and cargo to space exploration and storm forecasting, aviation and the aerospace industry have forever changed the way the world works and interacts. Keeping up with the latest aerospace statistics can be a daunting task.
In addition to providing a global transportation network that is fundamental to the success and growth of global business, the industry also creates millions of jobs, stimulates the economy and promotes international trade and tourism.
Of course, it is well documented that the industry has suffered significant hardship during the COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, the pandemic has served as a reminder of our dependence on aviation and aerospace sectors beyond travel – with increased demand for air travel due to a surge in online shopping, not to mention the spread of COVID-19 vaccines.
After overcoming so many challenges in the last two years, there is good news for the industry a decade of growth is expected. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges ahead for the aviation and aerospace industry, which will need to find ways to deal with greenhouse gas emissions and fewer people traveling for business. Fortunately, if there’s one thing the industry has been improving on time and time again, it’s the ability to adapt and innovate.
With that in mind, we decided to scour the web for the latest statistics, facts and trends in the aviation and aerospace industry. Whether you’re new to the field, a seasoned pro, or just an avid fan of all things flying, here’s a look at what you need to know about aviation and aerospace.
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50 Aviation and aerospace statistics:
Economics of Aviation and Astronautics
- By 2030, the global market for aerospace parts is projected to reach $1.36 trillion. (Proven market research)
- The U.S. aerospace and defense industry had a total sales revenue of over $874 billion in 2020. (Aerospace Industry Association – 2021 Facts and figures)
- Despite the pandemic, A&D industry sales accounted for 18.8% of all US non-food industry revenues in 2020. (Aerospace Industry Association)
- In 2020, the A&D industry accounted for 1.8% of US GDP with a total of $382 billion. (Aerospace Industry Association)
- Commercial aviation generates 5% of US GDP, equivalent to $1 trillion annually. (Airlines for America)
- If air transport were a country, it would rank 17th in terms of GDP, putting it on a par with Indonesia or the Netherlands. (Advantages of aviation abroad)
- Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is rapidly gaining momentum. The U.S. AAM market is expected to reach $115 billion annually by 2035. (Deloitte)
- The aviation sector directly contributes $961.3 billion to global GDP and another $816.4 billion indirectly. (Advantages of aviation abroad)
Numbers of air flights
- The Federal Aviation Administration operates 16,405,000 flights each year. (Federal Civil Aviation Administration)
- Every day, 2.9 million passengers arrive and depart from American airports. (Federal Civil Aviation Administration)
- The four-seat Cessna 172 is the most successful civilian aircraft in history, with more than 45,000 delivered (and more on the way) as of December 2021 (CNN)
- The world’s most successful commercial jet aircraft are the Boeing 737 with 10,877 deliveries as of December 2021 and the Airbus A320 with 10,176 deliveries. The 737 has been in production since 1968, and the A320 since 1986. (CNN)
- 90% of the American population flew commercially. (Airlines for America)
- By 2050, about 10 billion people are expected to fly by plane every year. (International Air Transport Association)
- There are 19,633 airports in the United States – 5,082 public and 14,551 private. (Federal Civil Aviation Administration)
The rise of the drones
- There are 854,864 registered drones in the US – 317,177 commercial and 534,084 recreational. (Federal Civil Aviation Administration)
- 8% of Americans own a drone. (Philly By Air)
- Global shipments of enterprise drones are forecast to reach 2.4 million in 2023, representing a compound annual growth rate of 66.8%. (Insider intelligence)
- The overall drone market is estimated at $100 billion. (Goldman Sachs)
- In 2020, $1.1 billion was invested in the drone industry. (Statista)
- In 2020, dealer sales of consumer drones in the US exceeded $1.25 billion. (Insider intelligence)
- 36% of online shoppers say they would be more likely to make a purchase if it were delivered by a drone. (Clutch)
- The global market for drone services is expected to reach $63.6 billion by 2025 (Markets Insider)
Work in the aviation and aerospace industry
- The aviation industry provides 87.7 million jobs worldwide. (Statista)
- The A&D industry supported more than 2 million US jobs in 2020, representing 1.4% of all US employment (Aerospace Industry Association)
- In 2020, there were 61,400 aerospace engineering jobs in the U.S. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Between 2020 and 2030, the number of aerospace engineers in the US is projected to increase by 8%.US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Worldwide, aviation jobs contribute about 4.3 times the contribution of other jobs to the global economy. (Air Transport Action Group)
- In the US, 6.5 million jobs are directly supported by the air transportation sector. (International Air Transport Association – Importance of air transport in the United States)
- More than 10.85 million US jobs are created by aviation. (Federal Civil Aviation Administration)
- Prior to the pandemic, US passenger airline job growth outpaced overall US job growth. (Airlines for America)
Impact of COVID-19 on aviation and aerospace
- As a result of COVID-19, the A&D industry lost more than 87,000 employees in 2020. (Aerospace Industry Association – 2021 Facts and figures)
- According to Available Seat Kilometers (ASK), global airline capacity declined by 56.7% during 2020. International bandwidth suffered the most – 68.3%. (International Air Transport Association)
- Between 2019 and 2020, US A&D exports fell 39%, or $57.5 billion, to $90 billion. However, US A&D exports still accounted for 6.3% of total US exports in 2020. (Aerospace Industry Association)
- At the start of the global COVID crisis in April 2020, 66% of the world’s commercial aircraft fleet was grounded. (International Air Transport Association)
International trade and cooperation
- As of 2020, the top destinations for US A&D exports were Germany, Canada, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom. (Aerospace Industry Association)
- In 2020, the United States was the leading aerospace export country with approximately $80.9 billion, followed by France ($29.1 billion) and Germany ($28.2 billion). (Statista)
- Three countries – the USA, Germany and France – account for more than 60% of the world’s aircraft production. (Research and markets)
- Air freight accounts for 35% of global trade by value, but less than 1% by volume. (International Air Transport Association – Air freight cost)
- Every year, 62.5 thousand tons of humanitarian aid are delivered by air transport. (International Air Transport Association – Air freight cost)
- The US aviation sector moves more than 58,000 tons of cargo per day between more than 220 countries. (Airlines for America)
- About 657 million packages worth more than $17 billion are transported by air in one day. (International Air Transport Association – Air freight cost)
- In the next 20 years, the global cargo fleet will increase by 70% from 1770 aircraft to 3010. (International Air Transport Association – Air freight cost)
Climate Impacts and Innovation in Aviation and Aerospace
- In the fall of 2021, the global air transport industry adopted a long-term climate goal of reducing carbon emissions by 2050. (International Air Transport Association)
- On a per seat kilometer basis, aviation has cut emissions in half since 1990 through improvements in aircraft design, aerodynamics, materials and operational efficiency. (Oliver Wyman)
- In 2019, aviation accounted for approximately 2.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Oliver Wyman)
- Aviation is responsible for 12% of CO2 emissions from all transport sources, compared to 74% from road transport. (Air Transport Action Group)
- Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be a key component in reducing aviation emissions over the next three decades. SAF, derived from sources such as algae or by-products, has been shown to reduce the carbon footprint of jet fuels by up to 80% over their life cycle. (Air Transport Action Group)
- Since 2000, the modernization of aircraft wings has avoided the emission of 80 million tons of CO2. (Air Transport Action Group)
- Each new generation of aircraft reduced emissions by 15-20%. The overall fuel efficiency of the fleet has improved by about 80% compared to 50 years ago. (International Air Transport Association)
Despite two tumultuous years, there is much to be excited about in the aviation and aerospace industry. The industry is growing and innovating, creating many opportunities.
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