Flight Simulator Market Report 2025

The flight simulator market size has grown marginally in recent years. It will grow from $5.48 billion in 2024 to $5.54 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to globalization of aviation training, training effectiveness and realism, military applications, airline industry expansion, regulatory requirements.

The flight simulator market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $6.89 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to industry regulation and certification, expansion into general aviation, virtual training trends, cost-efficiency in training, demand for realistic and scenario-based training. Major trends in the forecast period include pilot training demand, transition to virtual training, regulatory compliance, rising demand in commercial aviation.

The rising demand for new commercial and military pilots is fueling the growth of the flight simulator market. The increased purchase of new commercial and military aircraft by air transport providers and government entities to fulfill their ongoing needs is driving the demand for new pilots. This need for new pilots is expected to enhance the demand for simulators, as they are essential components in pilot training to meet regulatory requirements. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a government agency in the United States, projects that overall employment of airline and commercial pilots will grow by 5 percent from 2023 to 2033. Therefore, increasing demand for new commercial and military pilots is expected to propel the growth of the flight simulator market in the coming years.

Increasing demand for air travel is expected to propel the growth of the flight simulator market going forward. Air travel involves the transportation of passengers or cargo by aircraft through the atmosphere. Flight simulators provide a safe and controlled environment for pilots to practice flying without the risks associated with actual flight. It also provides a crucial training tool to address the pilot shortage by offering a controlled environment for trainees to develop their skills. For instance, in March 2023, according to a report published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a US-based government agency, in 2022, US airlines transported 194 million more passengers than in 2021, a 30% increase year on year. From January to December 2022, US airlines handled 853 million passengers (unadjusted), up from 658 million in 2021 and 388 million in 2020. Therefore, the increasing demand for air travel is driving the growth of the flight simulator market.

Technological advancement is a key trend gaining popularity in the flight simulator market. Major market players are concentrating their efforts on creating innovative technologies and more on research and development (R&D) activities to produce cost-effective and secure solutions. For instance, in July 2022, CAE Inc., a Canada-based simulation technologies, training services and modelling technologies manufacturer, unveiled the CAE 700MXR Flight Simulator, the industry’s most recent innovation in pilot training. With a small mini-motion platform and 3600 field of view visuals that give high-fidelity, physics-based simulation geared to single-pilot operations, the CAE 700MXR, which is initially aimed at the eVTOL industry, will revolutionise flight training for challenging urban environments. Pilots will be able to take advantage of improved 3D perception and AI-based digital capabilities to fully engage in realistic, low-level flying scenarios thanks to CAE’s next-generation immersive synthetic out-the-window environment, which is combined with a mixed reality head mounted display and real cockpit controls and instrumentation.

Major companies operating in the flight simulator market are focused on introducing technologically advanced solutions, such as the Praetor 500 and 600, to gain a competitive edge in the market. A technologically advanced flight simulator is a complex training tool or component of software that is intended to stimulate flying an airplane. It offers a safe and controlled environment for pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and aspiring pilots to practice flying without the risks associated with actual flight. For instance, in September 2023, Embraer SA, a Brazil-based aerospace corporation, and FlightSafety International, a US-based professional aviation training company, unveiled a new Praetor full-flight simulator in the US. It is already FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)-certified, and these Praetor 500 and 600 are the most technologically advanced aircraft in their categories. The longest and fastest midsize aircraft in the world, the Praetor 500, can travel nonstop from Miami to Seattle or Los Angeles to New York. The Praetor 600, on the other hand, is the super-midsize aircraft with the longest range in the world and is able to make nonstop flights from Sao Paulo or Paris to New York or Miami. The Praetor 600 has a 4,018 nautical mile (7,441 km) intercontinental range.

In May 2022, Thales Group, a France-based company specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of electrical systems for aerospace, acquired RUAG Simulation and Training (RUAG S&T) for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to enhance Thales Group's portfolio in the defense sector by incorporating RUAG Simulation & Training's advanced simulation technologies and expertise, thereby bolstering its capabilities in military training and operational readiness solutions while expanding its global footprint in the aerospace and defense markets. RUAG Simulation and Training (RUAG S&T) is a Switzerland-based company that provides flight simulators.

Major companies operating in the flight simulator market include FlightSafety International Inc., The Boeing Company, Thales Group, Collins Aerospace, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Airbus SE, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Precision Flight Controls Inc., Frasca International Inc., SIMCOM Aviation Training Corporation, TRU Simulation + Training Inc., Flightdeck Solutions Inc., FLYIT Simulators Inc., Full Flight Solutions LLC, Indra Sistemas S. A., Mechtronix Systems Inc., Multi Pilot Simulations BV, Pacific Simulators 2010 Ltd., Ryan Aerospace Pty Ltd, Simloc Research S. L., Simnest S. L., Simtech Aviation Limited, TFC Flight Training Centre Limited, Virtual Fly S. L., XPI Simulation Limited.

The flight simulator refers to flight training devices, which are electronic or mechanical systems used for training airplane and spacecraft pilots and crew members. It involves the use of a flight simulator that enhances the skills and knowledge of the pilot by providing learning to enhance performance in the real system.

The main types of simulation of flight simulators are virtual simulation and live simulation. The virtual simulation refers to an immersive representation of the flight experience. The virtual simulation is a computer-generated environment with a visual, audible, and optionally haptic representation of the environment the concept of being immersed in interacting with the environment through gestures or physical buttons or levers. The flight simulator is run on platforms such as commercial aerospace and military aerospace and supports rotary-wing aircraft and fixed-wing aircraft.

The flight simulator market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides flight simulator market statistics, including flight simulator industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a flight simulator market share, detailed flight simulator market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the flight simulator industry. This flight simulator market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

North America was the largest region in the flight simulator in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the flight simulator market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

The countries covered in the flight simulator market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Canada, Spain.

The flight simulator market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing flight training devices and vertical motion simulator. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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