Aircraft Refurbishing to Gain a Healthy Boost, with More Air Travelers Longing for Premium Economy Class: FMI’s Report
A recent market research report offers critical insights on the growth of aircraft refurbishing market for the forecast period of 2019 and 2029. The global aircraft refurbishing market was pegged at ~US$ 4.2 Bn in 2018 and is estimated to thrive at a healthy CAGR of ~ 5 percent through the next decade, as suggested by the report forecast.
According to the report, the global aircraft refurbishing market is expected to witness noteworthy growth over the forecast period, primarily driven by the increasing demand for upgradation of domestic cabins, particularly in North America and Western Europe, which is attributed to the increasing number of existing narrow body aircrafts within these regions.
The growth of the aircraft refurbishing market will remain primarily driven by the increasing demand for new business seats, mainly in airline companies that provide the short haul services. Report’s analysis highlights that the demand for aircraft refurbishment has remained influenced by the expansion of refurbishment industry across developing economies, such as Middle Eastern countries, India, China, and many of the other Soviet Union republics.
Technological Innovations Driving Opportunities for Aircraft Refurbishing
In-Flight Entertainment System (IFES) components are integrated and repackaged consumer electronics. Given the small lifespan of consumer electronics, aircraft refurbishing becomes a mandatory process so that they stay ahead of system obsolescence and in-sync with consumer expectations. As these technologies get outdated very frequently, there are opportunities in designing, developing, manufacturing, and installing customized inflight entertainment and communications (IFEC) solutions to keep pace with new technological innovations. For instance, Android mobile operating system is gaining popularity as a next generation in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) platform.
Demand for Aircraft Refurbishing Growing in the Middle East
Robust growth in the upper-middle income group has paved way for strong passenger numbers with maximum growth expected in the APAC and Middle East regions. It is anticipated that the Asia Pacific region will witness almost half of the world's air traffic growth in the next 20 years. The aircraft refurbishing market is likely to witness global migration from west to east owing to lower costs. Amongst the new airport development projects that are under construction around the world, APAC encompasses over half of them, which opens huge opportunities for the airport support industry in the region.
Premium economy seats offer a significant upgrade from the economy experience without the high price of a business class fare. The segment offers a wide range of benefits including more comfortable and spacious seats, priority check-in and baggage delivery at the airport, and quality meals with complimentary bar services. In 2016, American Airlines became the first US carrier to offer a premium economy cabin, and today, this trend of increasing preference for premium economy section is gaining coherence across the globe.
Aircraft cabins have undergone significant changes over the past few decades in terms of features, functions, and equipment. Airlines use passenger cabins as presentation of their brand image and gain patronage by providing competitive features, comforts, and ambience. Aircraft cabin illumination is one of the most important piece of equipment that creates the ambience passengers look for during their journey.
