The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has outlined four critical priorities to address persistent disruptions in the global aerospace supply chain, warning that continued shortages of aircraft, engines, spare parts and maintenance capacity are undermining airline operations, increasing costs and delaying the industry’s recovery and sustainability goals.
Speaking at the inaugural IATA World Maintenance and Engineering Symposium in Madrid, IATA urged stakeholders across the aviation value chain to work together to strengthen supply chain resilience by improving supply chain visibility, opening up the aircraft aftermarket, accelerating the adoption of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), and investing in the next generation of aviation maintenance professionals.
The call follows growing concern within the industry over severe supply chain constraints, which IATA says cost airlines at least $11 billion in 2025. The challenges have contributed to an aircraft order backlog of more than 18,000 aircraft, while the average age of the global airline fleet has climbed to a record 15.2 years due to delayed deliveries of newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh noted that airlines are operating without more than 5,000 replacement aircraft they had expected to receive, resulting in missed fuel-efficiency gains, higher aircraft leasing costs and increased maintenance expenses. He warned that rising fuel prices would further compound the financial burden on airlines.
IATA’s Director of Flight and Technical Operations, Stuart Fox, said the industry’s challenges extend beyond delayed aircraft deliveries to include engine durability issues, shortages of materials and spare parts, and constrained maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capacity, all of which continue to disrupt airline operations worldwide.
To improve supply chain performance, IATA is calling on manufacturers to provide airlines with earlier and more transparent information on aircraft delivery schedules, repair turnaround times, parts availability and supply bottlenecks, enabling carriers to better plan their fleet and network operations.
The association also urged manufacturers to open the aircraft aftermarket by adopting principles that promote greater competition, including wider access to third-party maintenance providers, approved alternative repairs and spare parts. According to IATA, existing commercial restrictions on repair documentation, tooling, approved repair networks and parts distribution limit airlines’ operational flexibility, increase maintenance costs and prolong aircraft downtime.
Recognising the growing importance of digital technologies, IATA also called for deeper integration between airline maintenance systems and external market intelligence. The association believes enhanced data sharing, digitalisation and artificial intelligence can improve inventory management, predict component shortages, support maintenance planning and strengthen warranty management. It highlighted ongoing initiatives, including collaboration with the International Airlines Technical Pool (IATP) and the availability of MRO SmartHub through a data participation programme, as examples of practical steps already supporting these objectives.
Another major concern identified by IATA is the industry’s growing shortage of qualified maintenance personnel. Citing Boeing’s forecast that the aviation sector will require approximately 710,000 new aircraft maintenance technicians over the next two decades, IATA called for reforms to recruitment, training and licensing processes. The association said expanding training capacity, reducing unnecessary certification bottlenecks and improving international recognition of technical qualifications will be essential to meeting future workforce demands.
Fox stressed that while the industry’s supply chain challenges are significant, they present an opportunity for coordinated action rather than pessimism.
“The supply chain is under real pressure, but this is not a reason for pessimism. It is a reason for action. These priorities are not complete solutions, but they represent important steps towards building the resilient aerospace supply chains that global connectivity requires,” he said.
Beyond supply chain reforms, IATA also urged regulators to adopt realistic and globally coordinated implementation timelines for new aircraft equipment and avionics mandates. The association warned that compliance deadlines must reflect equipment certification schedules, production capacity, installation capability and wider supply chain constraints.
IATA said it has raised these concerns with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), particularly regarding implementation timelines for initiatives such as the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS), Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting Systems (ROAAS), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).
Fox emphasized that the industry’s position is not about delaying safety improvements but ensuring they can be implemented effectively.
“This is not about delaying safety. It is about making safety deliverable. Global safety improvements require globally coordinated implementation timelines that reflect certification, equipment availability and installation capacity,” he said.
