Aircraft Autopilot System Global Market Report 2024

The aircraft autopilot system market has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $5.2 billion in 2023 to $5.64 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6%. The growth observed in the historical period can be attributed to several factors, including improvements in aircraft performance, enhancements in aerodynamic efficiency, efforts towards weight reduction, advancements in safety and stability features, the pursuit of streamlined aesthetics, and the drive for increased market competitiveness within the aviation industry.

The aircraft autopilot system market is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $7.58 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7%. The anticipated growth in the forecast period can be attributed to various factors, including the development of next-generation aircraft designs, a focus on sustainability and green aviation practices, compliance with regulatory requirements, the global growth of air traffic, and the increasing adoption of advanced materials in aviation. Noteworthy trends expected in the forecast period encompass the integration of new technologies, the incorporation of noise reduction technologies, customization tailored to different aircraft types, the provision of retrofitting and aftermarket services, as well as collaborations and partnerships within the aviation industry.

The anticipated rise in air traffic is poised to act as a driving force for the aircraft autopilot system market. Air traffic specifically refers to the movement of aircraft in the sky or on airport surfaces, excluding loading ramps and parking zones. An autopilot serves as a system that navigates an aircraft's flight path without constant manual control by a human operator. It adjusts the aircraft's control surfaces to navigate through the heightened air traffic. With the escalating air traffic, there is a surging demand for advanced automation technology to aid pilots in managing increased workloads and ensuring safe and efficient flight operations. For instance, as of April 2023, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a Cuba-based trade association of global airlines, reported a continuous growth in global air travel in February 2023, measuring a 55.5% increase in total traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometers compared to February 2022. Moreover, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a US-based entity within the United States Department of Transportation, reported a 30% year-to-year increase as US airlines transported 194 million more passengers in 2022 compared to 2021. Consequently, the upsurge in air traffic is expected to drive the growth of the aircraft autopilot system market.

The surge in geopolitical tensions is projected to propel the expansion of the aircraft autopilot system market. Geopolitical tensions encompass political conflicts, rivalries, or disputes among nations or regions, often concerning issues such as territory, resources, power, or ideology. Autopilot systems become indispensable, particularly for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which play a critical role in reconnaissance and surveillance during periods of geopolitical tensions. For instance, in March 2022, as per The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a US-based non-profit organization, there were 33,331 reported events of political violence targeting civilians in 2020, escalating by 12% to reach 37,185 events in 2021. Correspondingly, civilian fatalities increased by 8%, with reported fatalities rising from 35,879 in 2020 to 38,658 in 2021. Thus, the escalating geopolitical tensions are stimulating the growth of the aircraft autopilot system market.

The aircraft autopilot system market is witnessing a prominent trend driven by technological advancements. Companies within this market are embracing new technologies and innovating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) equipped with sophisticated autopilot capabilities to maintain their competitive edge. For instance, uAvionix, a US-based firm renowned for developing the smallest, lightest, and cost-effective ADS-B transponder, introduced Georg in April 2021. Georg, weighing merely 80 grams, stands as a certified low-size, weight, and power (SWaP) solution for enterprise operations. Leveraging CubePilot's open-source autopilot Cube, Georg integrates Design Assurance Level C (DAL-C) hardware, ensuring safety and sensor monitoring, enabling clients to satisfy type certification and safety criteria for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions.

Major players in the aircraft autopilot system market are forging strategic partnerships to drive product innovation and fortify their market positions. Collaborative endeavors in this realm foster advancements in specialized autopilot systems, enriching safety, operational efficiency, and overall functionality within the aviation sector. A prime example occurred in November 2023 when Standard Aero Holdings Inc., a US-based aircraft maintenance and repair entity, and Thales Group, a French technology conglomerate, jointly unveiled the cutting-edge 4-Axis Autopilot System, StableLight. Derived from Thales' Compact Autopilot System, StableLight is tailored for light rotorcraft, enhancing flight control by delivering transparent stability augmentation, minimizing pilot workload, and augmenting mission capabilities. Its advanced features include stabilized climb flight attitude recovery, auto hover, and other sophisticated functionalities, proving particularly effective in challenging conditions such as Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC). This strategic partnership underscores a dedication to safety, innovation, and meeting the dynamic demands of the aviation industry, marking a significant milestone in advancing top-tier autopilot systems specifically designed for light rotorcraft.

In September 2021, Genesys Aerosystems, a prominent avionic systems company based in the United States, joined forces with Jettech LLC, an aircraft solutions company also based in the US, to pursue the certification of the S-TEC 5000 Autopilot for retrofitting in FAR Part 23 and Part 25 Citation series aircraft. Leveraging Genesys's extensive avionics expertise and JetTech's specialization in aviation solutions, the collaboration targets meeting the demand for upgraded autopilot systems within the retrofit market. The primary focus lies in elevating performance, safety standards, and operational efficiency specifically tailored for Citation series aircraft. The S-TEC 5000 Autopilot offers state-of-the-art digital and attitude-based capabilities. Through this partnership, the goal is to acquire the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) required for the initial retrofit applications. The project is set to commence with Citation S550, Encore, Ultra, and V models, marking a strategic step towards enhancing the capabilities of these aircraft through advanced autopilot technology.

Major companies operating in the aircraft autopilot system market report are Honeywell International Inc., MicroPilot, Lockheed Martin Corporation, BAE Systems plc, Collins Aerospace- RXT corporation, Furuno Electric Co. Ltd., Garmin Ltd., Airware, Dynon Avionics, Trimble Inc., Esterline Technologies Corporation, General Electric Company, Avidyne Corporation, Trio Avionics, Safran Electronics & Defense, Genesys Aerosystems, Cloud Cap Technology, Century Flight Systems, L-3 Communications Holdings Inc., Meggitt plc, Moog Inc., NavtechGPS, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Precision Flight Controls Inc., Sagem Avionics Inc., Sandel Avionics Inc., S-TEC Corporation, Thales Group, Aspen Avionics Inc., Universal Avionics Systems Corporation, Chelton Limited.

North America was the largest region in the aircraft autopilot system market in 2023. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the global aircraft autopilot system market during the forecast period. The regions covered in the aircraft autopilot system market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the aircraft autopilot system market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The main components of an aircraft autopilot system include a computer system, gyros, GPS, and actuators. The aircraft computer system encompasses computerized components and systems utilized in aircraft. The autopilot system relies on a computer system to regulate the aircraft. The computing element of an autopilot can be analog or digital, and its role is to interpret data from sensing elements, integrate commands, and process navigational input. Types of aircraft autopilot systems include fixed-wing and rotary-wing systems, incorporating components such as attitude and heading reference systems, flight director systems, flight control systems, avionics systems, and more. Aircraft autopilot systems find applications in commercial, military, and civil aircraft.

The aircraft autopilot system market research report provides aircraft autopilot system market statistics, including aircraft autopilot system industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a aircraft autopilot system market share, detailed aircraft autopilot system market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the aircraft autopilot system industry. This aircraft autopilot system 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.

The aircraft autopilot system market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as direction assistance, navigation management, track guidance services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The aircraft autopilot system market also includes sales of sensing unit, autopilot computer, autopilot servo, command unit which are used in providing aircraft autopilot system services. 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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