50 Aviation and Aerospace Statistics

There’s no question that the aviation and aerospace sector has had a massive impact on countries worldwide over the last several decades. From travel and cargo to space exploration and storm forecasting, aviation and aerospace have forever changed how the world operates and interacts. Keeping up with the latest aerospace statistics can be a daunting task.

In addition to providing a worldwide transportation network that’s fundamental to the success and growth of global business, the industry also creates millions of jobs, fuels economies, and enables international trade and tourism. 

Of course, it’s been well-documented that the industry suffered significant hardship during COVID-19 with travel restrictions. However, the pandemic served as a reminder of our reliance on the aviation and aerospace sector outside of travel – with increased demand for air freight due to the surge in online shopping, not to mention the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. 

After weathering so many challenges over the last two years, there’s good news ahead for the industry, which is expected to see a decade of growth. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges ahead for the aviation and aerospace industry, which will have to find ways to address greenhouse gas emissions and fewer people traveling for business. Fortunately, if there’s one thing that the industry has perfected time and time again, it’s the ability to adapt and innovate.

With that in mind, we decided to search online to find the latest stats, facts, and trends in the aviation and aerospace industry. Whether you’re a newcomer to the field, a seasoned professional, or just an avid fan of things that fly, here’s a look at what to know about aviation and aerospace.

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50 Aviation & Aerospace Statistics:

Economics of Aviation and Aerospace

The global aerospace parts manufacturing market size is projected to reach $1.36 trillion by 2030. (Verified Market Research)
The U.S. aerospace and defense (A&D) industry saw more than $874 billion in total sales revenue in 2020. (Aerospace Industries Association – 2021 Facts & Figures)
Despite the pandemic, A&D industry sales contributed 18.8% of all non-food manufacturing revenue in the U.S. during 2020. (Aerospace Industries Association)
The A&D industry accounted for 1.8% of the U.S. GDP in 2020, for an approximate total of $382 billion. (Aerospace Industries Association)
Commercial aviation is responsible for 5% of the U.S. GDP, the equivalent of $1 trillion annually. (Airlines for America)
If air transport was a country, it would rank 17th in GDP size, putting it on par with Indonesia or the Netherlands. (Aviation Benefits Beyond Borders)
Advanced air mobility (AAM) is quickly gaining traction. The AAM market in the U.S. is expected to reach $115 billion annually by 2035. (Deloitte)
The aviation sector directly contributes $961.3 billion to the global GDP and another $816.4 billion indirectly. (Aviation Benefits Beyond Borders)

Air Travel Figures

Every year, the Federal Aviation Administration handles 16,405,000 flights. (Federal Aviation Administration)
Every day, 2.9 million passengers fly in and out of American airports. (Federal Aviation Administration)
The four-seater Cessna 172 is the most successful civil aircraft in history, with more than 45,000 deliveries (and more on the way) as of December 2021. (CNN)
The world’s most successful commercial jetliners are the Boeing 737 with 10,877 deliveries as of December 2021 and 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 has flown commercially. (Airlines for America)
By 2050, it’s expected that around 10 billion people will fly annually. (International Air Transport Association)
There are 19,633 airports across the U.S. – 5,082 public airports and 14,551 private airports.  (Federal Aviation Administration)

The Rise of Drones

There are 854,864 drones registered in the U.S. – 317,177 are commercial and 534,084 are recreational. (Federal Aviation Administration)
8% of Americans own a drone. (Philly By Air)
Global shipments of enterprise drones are projected to reach 2.4 million in 2023 – increasing at a 66.8% compound annual growth rate. (Insider Intelligence)
The total drone market is estimated to be worth $100 billion. (Goldman Sachs)
In 2020, $1.1 billion was invested in the drone industry. (Statista)
Sales of consumer drones to dealers in the U.S. exceeded $1.25 billion in 2020. (Insider Intelligence)
36% of online shoppers say they would be more likely to make a purchase if it was delivered by drone. (Clutch)
The global drone services market is expected to reach $63.6 billion by 2025. (Markets Insider)

Employment in Aviation and Aerospace

The aviation industry provides a total of 87.7 million jobs globally. (Statista)
The A&D industry supported more than 2 million American jobs in 2020, representing 1.4% of all employment in the U.S. (Aerospace Industries Association)
In 2020, there were 61,400 aerospace engineer jobs in the U.S. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Employment of aerospace engineers in the U.S. is projected to increase 8% between 2020 and 2030. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Worldwide, the amount contributed to the global economy by aviation jobs is approximately 4.3 times higher than the contribution of other jobs. (Air Transport Action Group)
In the U.S., 6.5 million jobs are directly supported by the air transport sector. (International Air Transport Association – The Value of Air Transport in the United States)
More than 10.85 million U.S. jobs are generated from aviation. (Federal Aviation Administration)
Before the pandemic, job growth at U.S. passenger airlines outpaced overall U.S. job growth. (Airlines for America)

Impacts of COVID-19 on Aviation and Aerospace

As a result of COVID-19, the A&D industry saw a decline of more than 87,000 employees in 2020. (Aerospace Industries Association – 2021 Facts & Figures)
According to available seat kilometers (ASKs), global airline capacity fell by 56.7% during 2020. International capacity was the hardest hit with a decline of 68.3%. (International Air Transport Association)
Between 2019 and 2020, American A&D exports dropped by 39%, or $57.5 billion, to $90 billion. However, American A&D exports still accounted for 6.3% of all U.S. exports in 2020. (Aerospace Industries Association)
At the start of the global COVID crisis, 66% of the world’s commercial air fleet was grounded in April 2020. (International Air Transport Association)

International Trade and Collaboration

As of 2020, the top destinations for American A&D exports were Germany, Canada, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom. (Aerospace Industries Association)
In 2020, the U.S. was the leading country for aerospace exports with approximately $80.9 billion, followed by France ($29.1 billion) and Germany ($28.2 billion). (Statista)
Three countries – the U.S., Germany, and France – account for more than 60% of all aircraft manufacturing worldwide. (Research and Markets)
Air cargo represents 35% of global trade by value, but less than 1% of trade by volume. (International Air Transport Association – The Value of Air Cargo)
62,500 tons of humanitarian aid are delivered by air every year. (International Air Transport Association – The Value of Air Cargo)
The U.S. aviation sector moves more than 58,000 tons of cargo per day between more than 220 countries. (Airlines for America)
In a single day, some 657 million packages worth more than $17 billion are transported by air. (International Air Transport Association – The Value of Air Cargo)
The global freight fleet will increase by 70% in the next 20 years from 1,770 planes to 3,010. (International Air Transport Association – The Value of Air Cargo)

Climate Impacts and Innovations in Aviation and Aerospace

In fall 2021, the global air transport industry adopted a long-term climate goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. (International Air Transport Association) 
On a seat-per-kilometer basis, aviation has cut emissions in half since 1990 with improvements in aircraft design, aerodynamics, materials, and operating efficiencies. (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 fuels (SAF) will be a key component for reducing aviation emissions over the next three decades. SAF derived from sources like algae or waste by-products have shown to reduce the carbon footprint of jet fuel by up to 80% over their lifecycle. (Air Transport Action Group)
Since 2000, the retro-fitting of aircraft winglets has resulted in 80 million tons of CO2 being avoided. (Air Transport Action Group)
Each new generation of aircraft has 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’s plenty to be excited about in the aviation and aerospace industry. The industry is growing and innovating, creating numerous opportunities.

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But amidst the renewed excitement and growth, for those in the aviation and aerospace industry it’s important not to lose sight of the need to protect their business from the unexpected. Having tailored insurance coverage will help ensure your business can make the most of the industry’s emerging opportunities. After all, if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we can never be too prepared for the unexpected.