Poll: Where Does The Industry Need To See Upgrades In Airline Interiors?

Cabin retrofit specialists and suppliers are seeing a steady market as airlines take delivery of new aircraft while delaying the retirements of older models—and while the Boeing 737 MAX remains grounded.

“The 737 MAX grounding has, to some degree, driven cabin upgrades as airlines lease alternative lift to fill the capacity hole that has left,” says Earl Diamond, executive board member and partner of Avianor, an aircraft interior modification company in Montreal. “Lease activity is also high due to recent airline failures, which have added lots of aircraft to the market.”

Read more about why airline failures and lease returns are generating much of the upgrade and modification work.

For 2020, Chandler predicts lease-transfer-related modification work will be buoyant, with a mix of 737NGs and A320s.

A 10-year forecast of the commercial airliner interiors market released last year by Tronos Aviation Consulting (TAC) of Atlanta projects an estimated $136 billion will be spent on major cabin components over the coming decade. This includes seats, galleys, lavatories, inflight entertainment (IFE) and connectivity, as well as lighting and soft goods such as upholstery, carpeting and curtains, says TAC Managing Officer Gary Weissel.

Find out more about the the new generation of cabin offerings. 

To share your views on other areas of the aftermarket, take a look at the previous weekly MRO polls here.