Commercial Aircraft Landing Gear Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Commercial Aircraft Landing Gear Market Trends and Insights

Shift Toward Lightweight Composite and Titanium-Matrix Materials

Escalating carbon-offset fees and tightening emissions regulations motivate airlines to shed every unnecessary kilogram of carbon. TISICS won GBP 2.5 million (USD 3.36 million) in UK funding for titanium-matrix struts that promise 30%-70% weight savings. Cranfield University calculated that a 30% mass cut could eliminate 9.6 million tons of CO₂ by 2050, based on current traffic projections.^{[2]Source: TISICS Ltd., “LightLand Project: Titanium Matrix Composites for Landing Gear,” TISICS.com} Safran’s wire-arc additive manufacturing reduced lead times by 40% for titanium landing-gear parts on the A350, without compromising fatigue life. Certification remains the chokepoint because EASA and FAA fatigue-test composites to 100,000 simulated cycles, but cross-platform data sharing helps accelerate approvals. Airlines reward suppliers that master hybrid metal-composite designs because life-cycle fuel savings outweigh upfront premiums, reshaping sourcing decisions in favor of innovators that can document measurable operating-cost reductions.

OEM Adoption of Electric Brake Architectures Enhancing Safety and Maintainability

Electric brakes eliminate hydraulic lines, reduce fire risk, and enable regenerative energy capture that powers aircraft buses. Collins Aerospace reports that DURACARB carbon brakes reduce weight by 318 kilograms on the B737NG and, in their electric form, extend disk life by 25% through precise torque control. The B787 was introduced with fully electric brakes in 2011, and Safran followed with contracts for the A350 and now the A320neo, bundling disk replacements and health-monitoring analytics under PBH frameworks that boost recurring revenue.^{[3]Source: Safran Landing Systems, “Electric Brake Systems and Additive Manufacturing,” Safran-group.com} Electric architectures dovetail with more-electric aircraft cabins as pneumatic and hydraulic loads migrate to simpler electrical subsystems. Liebherr pairs brake-control units with fly-by-wire avionics to adjust torque in real-time based on runway friction, a safety feature that regulators endorse by streamlining deferred-item lists. Suppliers holding type-certificate approvals for electric brakes enjoy regulatory moats because new entrants must prove reliability under edge-case conditions, such as asymmetric thrust or contaminated runways, a process that extends beyond two years, even with shared test data.

Growth in Global Commercial Aircraft Production Requirements

Supply-chain recovery has unleashed a synchronized production surge: Airbus aims to reach 75 A320neo units per month by 2026, while Boeing is pushing toward 38 B737 MAX aircraft despite ongoing fuselage inspections at Spirit AeroSystems. Asia-Pacific anchors this ramp; China alone projects 9,284 deliveries through 2043, and India’s IndiGo plus Air India ordered more than 970 jets in 2024. These volumes force landing-gear makers to scale automation and regionalize machining to satisfy offset mandates. Middle East dynamics add variability because Emirates delayed B777X acceptance, but Riyadh Air unveiled plans for more than 100 aircraft, creating new capacity needs. Production growth initially bolsters OEM revenues, with the aftermarket rising five to seven years later, as fleets enter heavy-maintenance cycles. Forward-looking suppliers are investing now in additive manufacturing cells and real-time quality analytics to align their capacity with this multi-year delivery wave.

Integration of Smart Sensors for Landing-Gear Health Monitoring

Fiber Bragg sensors, strain gauges, and vibration accelerometers are now integrated into struts to detect fatigue initiation. Collins Aerospace’s FlightSense portal aggregates sensor feeds. It predicts component failure 500 flight hours in advance, allowing maintenance during overnight checks rather than expensive aircraft-on-ground events that can exceed USD 150,000 per day. Safran trained machine-learning models on 10 million flight cycles and cut in-service removals by 18% during a 2025 pilot with a primary European carrier. SAE’s ARP6461 standardizes data formats, enabling third-party software vendors to hone analytics algorithms. Because hardware commoditizes quickly, sustainable margin accrues to firms that own the analytics layer and can quantify cost avoidance. Airlines are increasingly stipulating sensor-ready gear in RFPs, forcing late-adopting suppliers to either license algorithms or exit high-end tenders.

Titanium and Composite Material Supply Bottlenecks

Western sanctions on Russian titanium removed roughly one-third of the supply in 2022, pushing aerospace-grade prices as high as USD 35 per kilogram in 2024 and stretching qualification timelines for new mills to 18 months. Carbon-fiber prepreg, priced from USD 20 to USD 150 per kilogram, experienced a nine-month lead time in 2025 due to automotive and wind-energy demand diverting capacity. Spirit AeroSystems’ fuselage quality issues cascaded through Boeing build plans, forcing landing-gear suppliers to juggle inventory against shifting delivery slots. Safran’s investment in a French titanium-forging plant and Collins Aerospace’s long-term pact with Toray for prepreg illustrate vertical integration strategies that secure critical materials at predictable costs. Smaller suppliers, lacking scale or capital for backward integration, face a margin squeeze, as long-term OEM contracts limit price-pass-through flexibility.

Certification Delays for Advanced Actuation and Composite Structures

EASA’s CS-25 framework requires 100,000-cycle fatigue tests, drop tests, and damage-tolerance trials, which can extend programs by up to two years. FAA’s AC 25.735-1 added electromagnetic-interference cases for electric brakes, setting back multiple supplier schedules. Liebherr experienced a nine-month delay in its electro-hydrostatic actuator due to regulators requiring additional fail-safe validation under scenarios involving hydraulic fluid contamination. Smaller companies lack parallel engineering teams to run duplicative tests, entrenching incumbents that maintain dedicated certification units. The outcome is fewer disruptive entrants, lengthier innovation cycles, and higher capital barriers, which together restrain CAGR momentum by an estimated 1.1%.

Segment Analysis

By Landing Gear Type: Main Assemblies Capture Structural and Brake Integration Premiums

Main assemblies seized 75.24% of the commercial aircraft landing gear market revenue in 2025 and are projected to grow at an 11.21% CAGR to 2031, buoyed by integrated carbon brakes and electric actuators that command higher unit prices. The inclusion of shock absorbers, wheel pairs, and load-bearing trunnions makes each main-gear shipset complex and capital-intensive. Collins Aerospace’s electric DURACARB package alone delivers 318-kilogram weight savings and extends disk life by a quarter, generating recurring overhaul demand every 2,000–3,000 landings. In comparison, nose gear focuses on steering and ground-handling loads; Liebherr’s electro-hydraulic steering for the A350 enhances taxi precision but offers fewer monetization levers.

The transition toward electric brake architectures skews value creation toward main-gear suppliers who can bundle actuation, braking, and digital-health modules under PBH contracts, thereby simplifying OEM sourcing and ensuring consistent revenue throughout the product lifecycle. Nose-gear innovation centers on compact cameras and smart steering actuators that trim runway excursion risk in low-visibility conditions, but the price premium remains modest. Vertically integrated players that deliver both gear types on a sole-source basis reduce interface risk and typically secure 15-year exclusivity per platform, fortifying market positions against mid-tier challengers.

By Aircraft Type: Narrowbody Dominance Reflects Single-Aisle Production Surge

Narrowbody jets accounted for 65.90% of the commercial aircraft landing gear market share in 2025. They will expand at a robust 12.00% CAGR through 2031 as Airbus and Boeing together target more than 110 monthly single-aisle deliveries. Their shorter stage lengths yield higher takeoff-and-landing cycles, accelerating wear on struts, bushings, and brakes, which in turn powers aftermarket demand. Widebody gear, although representing lower volumes, carries heavier load ratings; a B777X main truck weighs around 3,000 kilograms compared with 1,200 kilograms for the B737 MAX, supporting premium pricing. Regional jets, led by the Embraer E2 and A220, occupy a middle ground where weight and cycle requirements spur suppliers like Heroux-Devtek to tailor gear for shorter runways and higher sortie rates.

Widebody recovery trails narrowbody because long-haul traffic, particularly in Asia and Europe, has to fully normalize, prompting airlines to defer B787 and A350 orders. Regional jets face turboprop competition on routes under 500 kilometers, but retain a preference on longer commuter routes due to their speed and cabin comfort. Suppliers therefore invest in flexible production lines and cross-trained workers who are able to pivot between gear shipsets as the OEM mix fluctuates. This agility minimizes capital under-utilization while preserving readiness for any widebody rebound post-2027.

By End User: Aftermarket Gains Traction as Retrofit Demand Accelerates

OEM deliveries contributed 57.45% of the commercial aircraft landing gear market size in 2025, as gear shipsets are embedded in each new airframe contract. However, aftermarket services are expected to notch an 11.94% CAGR through 2031 as installed fleets mature. Overhaul intervals every eight to 12 years furnish predictable demand for bushings, actuators, and carbon-disk replacements. Airlines facing B737 MAX delivery delays are extending their legacy B737NG operations by installing carbon brakes and sensor suites, effectively bridging capability gaps while awaiting the new jets.

PBH frameworks are increasingly dominating heavy-maintenance economics; Safran and Collins lock airlines into proprietary parts and analytics for a per-cycle fee, stabilizing cash flows and raising switching costs. Independent MROs counter by forming purchasing consortia to negotiate data access or focusing on out-of-production fleets where OEM interest wanes. Regulatory pushes, such as EASA’s 2025 mandate for enhanced health monitoring on European operations, further incentivize retrofit installations. Suppliers offering turnkey kits that combine hardware, software, and on-wing support capture higher margins than those selling parts alone, underscoring the strategic imperative to integrate services with product portfolios.

By Sub-Systems: Actuation Systems Lead Growth as Electric Architectures Proliferate

Structural assemblies delivered 44.40% of the revenue in 2025; actuation packages are expected to outpace all others at a 14.04% CAGR, as electro-hydrostatic and fully electric drives replace legacy hydraulics. Electro-hydrostatic units on the A350 eliminate fluid lines, reducing fault-finding time and scheduled inspections by 15%. Braking systems rank second in growth because the adoption of carbon discs, coupled with electric torque modulation, materially lowers weight and extends service life. Steering modules benefit from fly-by-wire integration but remain a smaller slice of value.

Electric actuation introduces a two-tier product landscape: premium widebodies adopt fully electric gear. At the same time, price-sensitive narrowbodies employ hybrid electro-hydraulic schemes that strike a balance between cost and performance. Safran’s electric brake-control unit for the B787 opens recurring software upgrade revenue, signaling how electronics content can extend supplier annuities well beyond hardware sales. Parker Hannifin hedges its hydraulic legacy by investing in electric linear actuators, ensuring relevance as fluid power cedes ground. Suppliers capable of delivering multi-sub-system bundles simplify OEM procurement and warranty administration, reinforcing competitive differentiation in an otherwise cost-driven environment.

Geography Analysis

The Asia-Pacific secured 32.78% of the commercial aircraft landing gear market revenue in 2025, driven by a surge in orders from China and India. It is expected to retain its primacy through 2031, as urbanization, liberalized air travel policies, and rising disposable incomes are expected to boost seat demand. China’s COMAC C919 relies on Western gear suppliers while seeking progressive localization, placing technology-transfer pressure on incumbents. India’s IndiGo and Air India surpassed 970 combined orders in 2024, prompting gear makers to consider local assembly to meet offset clauses. Japan’s Sumitomo Precision Products delivers actuators for Boeing and Airbus programs, cementing the region’s role in the global value chain. Low-cost carriers, such as AirAsia and Vietjet, sustain high-cycle demand profiles that favor carbon brakes and predictive maintenance sensors.

South America is primed for the fastest 14.95% CAGR from 2026 to 2031, anchored by LATAM and Azul fleet renewals and by Embraer’s E2 penetration into secondary city pairs where regional jets outperform narrowbody economics. Domestic travel rebounded swiftly in 2025, drawing investment into airport infrastructure that supports higher movement frequencies. Heroux-Devtek’s multi-year contract for Embraer E2 gear positions the supplier to ride this momentum. North America and Europe combined for 45% of the revenue in 2025. Still, their mature fleets are shifting emphasis toward retrofit rather than new deliveries as airlines leverage PBH agreements to manage lifecycle costs. Regulatory frameworks, such as the EU ETS, intensify incentives to adopt electric brakes and sensors that reduce emissions and capture more verified carbon-credit savings.

The Middle East offers a meaningful upside because Emirates, Qatar Airways, and newcomer Riyadh Air have placed episodic mega-orders. However, wide-body certification slippages and oil-price volatility inject uncertainty into forecasting. Africa continues to trail, hindered by limited airline profitability and underdeveloped MRO infrastructure; however, flag carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines invest cautiously in fleet modernization, signaling a nascent demand for performance-optimized gear. Suppliers weigh near-term volume against geopolitical and payment-risk profiles when allocating sales resources across emerging geographies.