Market Dynamics
Introduction
The aerospace flight control systems are a crucial component of the aircraft that manage the flight dynamics and control the movement of an aircraft during flight. It uses sensors, computers, and actuators to interpret data and provides control signals to the aircraft's control surfaces, such as the rudder, ailerons, and elevators. Flight control systems are responsible for various critical functions during flight, including stabilizing the aircraft, maintaining its altitude, heading, and controlling its speed. Flight control actuators, flight control electronics, cockpit control panels, and pilot control are the components of aerospace flight control systems.
The growing emphasis on aircraft electrification drives increased adoption of electric actuators and fly-by-wire systems. As the industry shifts toward More Electric Aircraft (MEA), fly-by-wire technology is becoming a key component in modern flight control systems, fueling the growth of the aerospace flight control systems market. increased safety and fuel efficiency, reduced weight, maintenance, and pilots’ workloads are some advantages of fly-by-wire systems.
Market Drivers:
- The expected increase in the production rate of key programs (A320neo, B737 Max, A220, B787, and A350XWB).
- Entry of new aircraft programs (C919, B777x, etc.).
- An expected rise in the aircraft fleet size.
- Growing Military Expenditure
- Increasing Adoption of Fly-By-Wire Systems
- Increasing electrification of aircraft.
Key Trends Shaping the Market:
- Gradual shift from manual to automatic control system, which offers benefits such as reduced pilot work and easier operation.
- Key aircraft OEMs prefer to form long-term contracts with the flight control system suppliers to ensure uninterrupted supply.
- Development of lightweight flight control systems, for instance, in 2017, Thales launched a compact lightweight autopilot system for light and medium helicopters.
Recent Market JVs and Acquisitions:
A considerable number of strategic alliances, including M&As, JVs, etc., have been performed over the past few years:
- In December 2024, Woodward, Inc. signed an agreement to acquire Safran Electronics & Defense's electromechanical actuation business based in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The acquisition will include advanced electromechanical control technology in aviation, and it will strengthen Woodward, Inc.’s technology platform for the next generation of aircraft.
- In 2022, Parker Hannifin Corporation acquired Meggitt PLC for US$ 7.8 billion. The acquisition increases Parker Hannifin Corp’s aerospace business with complementary technologies. It also added to the company’s portfolio transformation into longer-cycle, more resilient businesses.
- In 2020, Moog Inc. acquired Genesys AeroSystems Group, Inc. for a purchase price of approximately US$ 77.7 million. With this acquisition, Moog, Inc. adds AeroSystems Group, Inc.’s electronic flight instruments and autopilot solutions into its aircraft controls segment, enhancing its product portfolio.
- In 2019, Parker Hannifin Corporation acquired Lord Corporation for US$ 3.675 billion. The acquisition expanded Parker Hannifin Corporation’s portfolio of materials science capabilities, electrification, and aerospace product offerings that are highly complementary.
Segment Analysis
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Segmentations
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List of Sub-Segments
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Segments with High-Growth Opportunity
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Platform-Type Analysis
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Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, Helicopter, Defense, UAV, and Space
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Commercial aircraft accounted for more than three-fifths share in 2024 and are expected to remain the dominant platform type in the market during the forecast period.
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Component-Type Analysis
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Flight Control Actuators, Flight Control Electronics, Cockpit Control Panels, and Pilot Control
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Flight control actuators are likely to hold the dominant position in the market during the forecast period.
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Flight Control Actuator-Type Analysis
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Primary Flight Control Actuators, Secondary Flight Control Actuators-High Lift Systems, and Secondary Flight Control Actuators-Others.
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Primary flight control actuators took the throne in 2024 and are also likely to remain dominant during the forecast period.
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Pilot Control-Type Analysis
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Yokes, Side Sticks, Rudder Brake Pedal Systems, and Throttle Quadrant Assembly.
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Yoke is estimated to remain dominant, whereas throttle quadrant assembly is likely to experience the fastest growth in the coming years.
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Technology -Type Analysis
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Fly-By-Wire and Hydromechanical
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Fly-by-wire is expected to remain the dominant and faster-growing technology type in the coming years.
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End User-Type Analysis
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OE and Aftermarket
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OE is likely to remain the dominant end-user type over the next nine years.
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Region Analysis
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North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and The Rest of the World
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North America is expected to be the dominant region in the market over the next nine years.
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By Platform Type
“The commercial aircraft segment accounted for the largest market share in 2024, and also likely to remain dominant in the coming years.”
The market is segmented into commercial aircraft, regional aircraft, general aviation, helicopter, defense, UAV, and space. Increasing commercial aircraft deliveries, the introduction of fuel-efficient commercial aircraft, and a growing aircraft fleet size are key factors behind the dominance of the commercial aircraft segment. Boeing, in its recent outlook (2024-2043), predicted that there would be deliveries of about 43,975 commercial and regional aircraft over the next twenty years. Similarly, Airbus (as per GMF 2024-43) predicted there will be a demand for 33,510 single-aisle and 8,920 wide-body aircraft over the next 20 years, totaling 42,430 new passenger and freighter aircraft.
The substantial order backlogs of Boeing (6,319 units) and Airbus (8,720 units), totaling 15,039 aircraft as of March 2025, are anticipated to significantly contribute to the expansion of the aerospace flight control systems market.
By Component Type
“Flight control actuators are expected to maintain a dominant position in the market throughout the forecast period.”
The aerospace flight control systems market is segmented into flight control actuators, flight control electronics, cockpit control panels, and pilot control. Flight control actuators lead the market owing to their essential role in managing an aircraft’s primary movements—pitch, roll, and yaw. Their widespread use across both commercial and military aircraft, along with the growing adoption of electric and fly-by-wire actuators for better precision and efficiency. In flight control actuators, primary flight control actuators are expected to be the dominant as well as the fastest-growing actuator type in the coming years.
In the pilot control component type, yokes are expected to remain the dominant type owing to their advantages, such as being less expensive, providing greater safety, and giving more stability to the aircraft while flying.
By Technology Type
“Fly-By-Wire is expected to remain the widely used technology of the market over the next nine years.”
The market is segmented into fly-by-wire and hydromechanical. Key advantages of fly-by-wire technology, such as reduced weight, improved reliability, increased aircraft fuel efficiency, and reduced drag through optimized trim settings, are major factors behind its dominance in the market.
By End-User Type
“OE is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period.”
The market is segmented into OE and aftermarket based on the end-user type. Original Equipment (OE) is the dominant end-user type due to the continuous production of new commercial and military aircraft, which drives demand for integrated flight control components. OE installations benefit from technological advancements such as fly-by-wire systems and electric actuators, making them essential during aircraft assembly. On the other hand, the aftermarket holds a smaller share, as flight control system components like actuators, pilot control, cockpit control panels, and control electronics are designed for long service lives with minimal replacement, reducing aftermarket opportunities.
Regional Analysis
“North America is expected to maintain its dominance in the market, while Asia-Pacific is projected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.”
The USA is expected to remain the growth engine of the region’s market as the country is the world’s manufacturing capital of the aircraft industry and houses many large and small-sized aircraft manufacturers, tier players, Aerospace Flight control system suppliers, distributors, and raw material suppliers. The USA has a presence of a large number of flight control system manufacturers: Collins Aerospace, Woodward Inc., Moog Inc., Parker Hannifin Corp, Honeywell Aerospace, Curtis-Wright Corporation, and Triumph Group.
Asia-Pacific is projected to portray the highest growth over the next nine years, driven by a host of factors, including an increasing demand for commercial aircraft to support rising passenger traffic, the establishment of assembly plants for Boeing and Airbus in China, indigenous commercial aircraft (COMAC C919), and rising aircraft fleet size.
Report Features
This report provides market intelligence most comprehensively. The report structure has been kept so that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into market dynamics and will enable strategic decision-making for existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:
- Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.
- Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter’s five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.
- Market trend and forecast analysis.
- Market segment trend and forecast.
- Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, Service portfolio, New Product Launches, etc.
- COVID-19 impact and its recovery curve
- Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.
- Emerging trends.
- Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.
- Key success factors.
The aerospace flight control systems market is segmented into the following categories.
Aerospace Flight Control Systems Market, by Platform Type
- Commercial Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Regional Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- General Aviation (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Helicopter (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Defense (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- UAV (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Space (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
Aerospace Flight Control Systems Market, by Component Type
- Flight Control Actuators (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Primary Flight Control Actuators (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Secondary Flight Control Actuators-High Lift Systems (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Secondary Flight Control Actuators- Others (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Flight Control Electronics (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Cockpit Control Panels (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Pilot Control (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Yokes (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Side Sticks (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Rudder Brake Pedal Systems (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Throttle Quadrant Assembly (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
Aerospace Flight Control Systems Market, by Technology Type
- Fly-By-Wire (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Hydromechanical (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
Aerospace Flight Control Systems Market, by End-User Type
- OE (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
- Aftermarket (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)
Aerospace Flight Control Systems Market, by Region
- North America (Country Analysis: The USA, Canada, and Mexico)
- Europe (Country Analysis: Germany, France, The UK, Russia, and the Rest of Europe)
- Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan, China, India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific)
- Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Others)
