by Elsie Clark | Mar 16, 2026 | MRO IT
The US-Israel attack on Iran has not only caused the cancellation and diversion of tens of thousands of flights: maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) will also be significantly disrupted.
Iran’s ongoing retaliatory strikes on Gulf states, including Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have constrained supply chains and forced the implementation of emergency risk strategies. As airlines evacuate their fleets out of conflict zones, MRO activity is MENA is now reconsolidating around Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The risk of greater damage to aircraft is leading to an increase in MRO activity, while in the long term the war will exacerbate existing supply chain issues.
MRO demand spikes due to conflict
In the short term, the conflict has led to many airlines relocating their fleets away from the Gulf states. Strikes on sites such as Dubai International Airport have further put expensive MRO facilities at risk. And with many thousands of flights cancelled, more aircraft are on the ground than usual, necessitating a pivot to preservation and storage maintenance.
At the same time, aircraft in the air require more thorough inspection and maintenance than usual. With a higher risk of contact with foreign object debris (FOD), regulators are shortening prescribed maintenance cycles to make sure aircraft remain undamaged. And as flight paths are diverted around the conflict zone, aircraft are taking longer routes than they might do normally. This places extra strain on engines and could bring expensive shop visits forward. Inspections on avionics hardware are also stepping up as incidences of spoofing and GPS disruption continue in and around the warring countries.
Conflict exacerbates supply chain issues
Aviation and aerospace logistics have already been hard hit by the pandemic and other geopolitical events. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the current US-Israel-Iran conflict will worsen matters further, disrupting the import and export of critical MRO materials. Transportation via non-maritime means is also surging in price: air cargo costs have gone up by as much as 400%.
MROs will be forced to rely on stockpiles, and in some cases may even be unable to secure the parts needed at a reasonable price. Costs are set to go up, and with the situation remaining uncertain and unstable, it can’t be guaranteed that projects will complete on time.
World leaders are negotiating to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, even if the conflict lasts no more than a few weeks, the aftershocks will be felt for months down the line, especially in MRO. Higher prices and extended backlogs can be predicted in an aviation industry that is already suffering from lengthy delays and turbulence across the supply chain.
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by Elsie Clark | Mar 12, 2026 | Innovation
Jet fuel prices have topped US$200 a barrel as the fallout from the US-Israel attack on Iran continues to destabilise Middle Eastern oil production.
IATA’s Jet Fuel Price Monitor found that the average price had more than doubled, with costs surging by 58.4% on 6 March compared to the previous week. Strikes on oil production infrastructure in Iran, Qatar, and the UAE have contributed to the spike, as well as Iran’s assertion that they “will not allow even a single litre of oil” through the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz. Jet fuel already accounts for around 40% of an airline’s operating costs.
In response to the growing crisis, the International Energy Agency (IEA) have said they will release emergency reserves of 400 million oil barrels. Several airlines have confirmed they can withstand the shock because they bought their year’s stocks of fuel at a fixed price ahead of time. This includes Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, and Ryanair, all of whom have sufficient stockpiles for fares not to rise too much in the short term.
However, many airlines say they have no choice but to pass higher costs onto customers. Air India and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) are among the carriers who say additional surcharges will be needed to cover the higher costs of operation during this turbulent period.
Meanwhile, the Gulf region continues to be impacted by air strikes and airspace closures. KLM and British Airways are among the carriers who have paused all journeys to Dubai until the end of March, usually a popular destination with business travellers and tourists. Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways continue to offer an extremely limited schedule of flights aimed at repatriating passengers. Operations at Gulf Air remain completely suspended as of 11 March, since the aviation authorities do not consider it safe to reopen Bahraini airspace. The carrier have even relocated some of its fleet to Saudi Arabia to protect aircraft from potential damage.
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by Elsie Clark | Feb 19, 2026 | Innovation
European aircraft and aerospace manufacturer Airbus have published their full-year 2025 financial performance, recording revenue of €73.4 billion and a record backlog of 8,754 commercial aircraft.
Revenue was up on 2024’s €69.2 billion, and Airbus also managed to deliver more aircraft (783 in 2025 against 766 in 2024). Airbus Defence and Space performed especially well, with revenue increasing 11% year-on-year to €13.4 billion.
For 2026, assuming no further geopolitical disruption, the company is targeting 870 commercial deliveries. Production on the A220s is still accelerating, with Airbus now hoping to deliver 13 models a month by 2028. They blame Pratt & Whitney as engine suppliers for the current stalling on the programme, and assert that they will achieve a rate of 70 to 75 overall aircraft a month before the end of 2027.
Rivals Boeing posted a profit in 2025 for the first time since 2018, but also reported a backlog worth US$682 billion.
Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, said:
2025 was a landmark year, characterised by very strong demand for our products and services across all businesses, a record financial performance, and strategic milestones. We successfully navigated a complex and dynamic operating environment to deliver on our updated guidance.
Global demand for commercial aircraft underpins our ongoing production ramp-up, which we are managing while facing significant Pratt & Whitney engine shortages. The broad and competitive portfolios of Defence and Space as well as Helicopters allow us to capture the momentum in defence. We are also making progress to establish a new global industrial space player, together with our partners. These 2025 results and the confidence in our future financial performance support the proposed higher dividend payment.
Faury alludes to the merger with Leonardo and Thales that will see Airbus contribute its Space Systems and Space Digital businesses to a new aerospace entity that could rival SpaceX. Worth €10 billion, the European super-company represents an exciting development for Airbus as the manufacturing arm continues to struggle with supply chain issues and an extensive backlog.
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by Elsie Clark | Feb 11, 2026 | MRO IT
Irish low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair have signed a 15-year services agreement with engine manufacturer CFM to bring maintenance capabilities in-house.
The terms of the deal will see the airline buy US$1 billion in spare parts annually from CFM, a joint venture between Safran and GE Aerospace. Ultimately, by 2029 Ryanair plan to open two engine maintenance shops that will be responsible for maintaining their 2,000 CFM engines.
Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary explained that the move will reduce costs and expedite maintenance timelines. Currently, the LCC outsources its maintenance to CFM, which leaves Ryanair vulnerable to extensive supply chain backlogs and disruption. The ability to control their own turnaround times would be a ‘huge benefit, O’Leary explained. He said:
[This] is the way we will be able to limit cost inflation. There is no doubt there is going to be significant cost inflation on new aircraft, engines and engine repair for the next decade, until the supply chains begin to smooth out.
H Lawrence Culp, junior chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace, added:
We value the opportunity to work with them on solutions to increase capacity and reduce turnaround time. This MoU demonstrates our commitment to an open MRO ecosystem that supports growing demand while reducing cost of ownership,
Other airlines in Europe do their own engine maintenance, including Air France and Lufthansa. However, Ryanair’s move is a significant departure from the typical budget airline model, where maintenance is outsourced.
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by Elsie Clark | Jan 27, 2026 | Innovation
American aircraft manufacturer Boeing have reported their first full-year profit since 2018, following years of supply chain issues.
The company profited by US$2.24 billion in 2025, a significant step forward after net losses of US$11.83 billion the previous year. Q4 profits received a notable boost from the US$9.6 billion sale of its Digital Aviation Solutions business to US-based private equity firm Thoma Bravo.
These figures were supported by Boeing’s highest number of annual deliveries since 2018. 600 commercial aircraft rolled off the production lines, led by the 737 MAX. Nevertheless, a backlog of over 6,000 deliveries remains, worth US$682 billion. Delivery continues to be obstructed by issues across the supply chain, as well as pending regulatory approval of the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 variants by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Kelly Ortberg, Boeing President and CEO, said:
We made significant progress on our recovery in 2025 and have set the foundation to keep our momentum going in the year ahead. We completed the acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems and the sale of portions of the Digital Aviation Solutions business and remain focused on promoting stable operations, completing our development programs, rebuilding trust with our stakeholders, and fully restoring Boeing to the iconic company we all know it can be.
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