Commercial airliner production

Airbus (Toulouse, France) led 2025 deliveries with 793 aircraft while Boeing (Arlington, Va., U.S.) totaled 583, with single-aisle aircraft comprising the majority for both. Meanwhile, widebody aircraft continue to recover post-COVID. While Airbus still struggles to reach its production targets — due to supply chain issues mainly with Pratt & Whitney (East Hartford, Conn., U.S.) engines, but also with specific components for aerostructures, cabin interiors and landing gear — Boeing continues to make significant progress, reaching a rate of 42/month for the 737 MAX and 7/month for the 787.

Boeing is forecasting deliveries of 600 commercial aircraft in 2026 — note this will be new production versus clearing out undelivered inventory — with the 737 MAX reported to comprise roughly 500 of those at a rate of 47/month and a target 787 rate of 10/month by the end of 2026. In November 2025, Boeing announced expansion of its 787 production site in South Carolina, including a new final assembly building plus additional parts preparation and interiors capacity.

Demand for ≈34,250 new narrowbody aircraft Demand for ≈8,200 new widebody aircraft Source | Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF) 2025

Airbus is projecting ≈870 deliveries in 2026 (up almost 10% from 2025) with industry sources estimating the split as follows:

• 700-750 narrowbodies with 2026 serving to ramp toward 70-75 A320/321 aircraft/month by the end of 2027.
• >100 A220 regional jets (previously 14/month, but revised down due to Pratt & Whitney’s engine issues).
• ≈65 A350 and ≈42 A330 widebody aircraft.

To meet these figures, Airbus is activating a second A320 family line in Tianjin, China, in early 2026 and a second A321-capable line in Toulouse, France, by mid-2026. However, Pratt & Whitney’s continued inability to resolve quality issues in its metal high-pressure turbines and compressors is also holding back A320/A321 deliveries with Airbus threatening legal action if the engine OEM isn’t able to fulfill its production requirements. Airbus deliveries so far in 2026 are down 20% from its targets.

Meanwhile, Embraer (São José dos Campos, Brazil) is targeting growth toward 85 commercial regional jets in 2026 and 100 in 2027. The E2 program is showing strong sales momentum and the company closed 2025 with a record backlog driven by its commercial jets — increasing 42% year-over-year —alongside its executive/business jets, where it’s targeting 60-170 deliveries in 2026.

The company is also planning to develop a final assembly line (FAL) for its E175 aircraft as part of an enhanced MOU with Adani Defence & Aerospace (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India). According to a February press release, Embraer estimates that India will need at least 500 regional jets with 80-146 seats over the next 20 years. Aiming to establish an ecosystem for the E175, both companies are working on opportunities in aircraft manufacturing, supply chain, aftermarket services and pilot training to support India’s Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) program, as well as securing orders to support the proposed FAL.

Continued shift to Asia, the rise of India

According to Airbus’ Global Market Forecast (GMF) 2025, the commercial aircraft market continues to shift toward Asia and the Middle East. In a January 2026 release, Airbus forecasts that India’s commercial fleet will triple in size to 2,250 aircraft as it becomes the third-largest civil aviation market in the world by 2035. Also reported in January 2026, Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) projects airlines in India and Southeast Asia will need ≈3,300 new aircraft by 2044 — 90% of which will be single-aisle jets.

A February 2026 white paper by Alton Aviation Consultancy notes that while China continues to play a dominant role, growth in Southeast Asia is increasing, led by markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The report notes Asia-Pacific also now accounts for ≈40% of global air freight demand, reflecting the increasing importance of intra‑Asia trade and Asia’s critical role in global supply chains.

In response, Boeing and Airbus are aggressively expanding their manufacturing footprint in India. In October 2025, AirInsight reported that Airbus will manufacture the H125 helicopter in the southern Indian state of Karnataka and is establishing a factory to produce the C-295 military aircraft in the western state of Gujarat with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL, New Delhi) — the first time Airbus has deployed an aircraft’s entire production system outside its home nation. Meanwhile, Boeing signed an agreement in January 2024 for TASL to manufacture advanced composite assemblies for the 737 MAX, 777X (now scheduled to enter service in 2027) and 787. The parts will be made in TASL’s advanced composites manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru and Nagpur and add to ongoing production of composite floor beams for the 787 in Nagpur. Indian aviation press notes this agreement strengthens TASL’s commitment to become a premier supplier of composite aerostructures.

The Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd. (TBAL, Hyderabad, Telangana) joint venture was established in 2021 and employs more than 900 engineers and technicians. It produces various secondary structures, shipped its first vertical fin structures for the 737 family in 2023 and has delivered 300 AH-64 Apache attack helicopter fuselages. The facility has also added a new production line for 737 fan cowl assemblies operating in coordination with the Nagpur and Bengaluru facilities.

According to an Economic Times report in February 2026, Boeing aims to make India its largest foreign supplier base — it has more than 325 Indian suppliers of parts and services worth $1.25 billion — while Airbus is aiming to increase its part sourcing in India from $1.4 to $2 billion annually. It is worth noting that India is also increasing its defense spending, now ranking fourth behind the U.S., China and Russia. This will also drive growth in its domestic aerocomposites production capacity.

Blended wing body aircraft

As Airbus and Boeing struggle to keep pace with airline demand, two companies have emerged aiming to fill the gap in aircraft deliveries but also in sustainability via new blended wing body (BWB) aircraft. JetZero (Long Beach, Calif., U.S.) and Natilus (San Diego, Calif., U.S.) are both developing and commercializing aircraft which will feature carbon fiber composite fuselage and wings but in designs that eliminate the tubular fuselage-to-wing joint of traditional aircraft while enabling the entire fuselage to produce lift, resulting in a more aerodynamic structure with less drag as well as improved structural efficiency and significant weight savings. Both aircraft are targeting 50% less fuel burn and emissions.

JetZero’s Z4 program is targeting first flight in 2027 under a U.S. Air Force program, supported by partners including Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites, which is building a full-scale demonstrator with major structural sections already in assembly at Mojave. The company is also advancing toward production with construction of a manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, to start in 2026. It will produce up to 20 Z4 aircraft/month at full rate, expected by the late 2030s. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines have invested in JetZero and placed conditional orders. Other partnerships include:

• JetZero has developed a digital thread design in partnership with Siemens (Plano, Texas, U.S.) that includes fiber optic sensors embedded throughout the aircraft for monitoring its structures and systems.
• Collins Aerospace (Charlotte, N.C., U.S.) an RTX company, will design and build nacelle structures including the inlet, fan cowl and fan duct, in addition to fairings and the engine support structure.
• Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) is advancing a strategic partnership through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) program, qualifying composite materials for JetZero’s aircraft development program.

Natilus is using its first aircraft, the Kona regional turboprop freighter, to serve as its pathfinder, having already flight tested subscale prototypes. A full-scale Kona prototype is now being manufactured, targeting to fly by 2028 with aircraft entry into service by 2030. Concurrently, Natilus’ larger Horizon Evo passenger jet is in early prototype development with a scaled demonstrator expected to fly by 2027.

Natilus has raised $28 million in Series A financing and secured more than 570 pre-orders (worth an estimated $24 billion) for Kona including by Volatus Aerospace, Astral Aviation, Aurora International, Dymond, Nolinor Aviation, Ameriflight and Flexport. SpiceJet is also a partner, helping the Horizon Evo get certified in India, with plans to purchase 100 aircraft. The newly established subsidiary Natilus India, to be headquartered in Mumbai, will help commercialize Natilus aircraft and source manufactured parts in India.

Natilus is currently working with the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for Horizon Evo certification in India and pursuing Part 25 certification through the FAA in the U.S. In February 2026, Natilus announced that based on FAA and airline feedback, it has evolved the Horizon Evo design into a dual-deck configuration, more akin to typical tube-and-wing aircraft, with plans for entry into service by the early 2030s. For Kona, certification is per FAA Part 23 approval for general aviation (e.g., aircraft 19,000 pounds or less), a lower regulatory barrier compared to Part 25, but still typically requiring multiple years of test flights and approval processes. Natilus is also preparing for industrialization, searching for a U.S. manufacturing site and planning a 250,000-square-foot factory to produce up to 60 aircraft/year.

Business jets

In October 2025, Honeywell published its 34^th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook, which forecast that a record-setting 8,500 new business jets will be delivered over the next 10 years. With an average growth rate of 3%, 2026 deliveries are expected to be 5% higher than in 2025, with North America expected to receive roughly 70% of these over the next 3 years, comprising 62% of the global fleet. Europe follows with 14% of new jet deliveries over the next 3 years and 11% of the global business aviation fleet, while Latin American, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa come in at 7%, 5% and 3%, respectively, although Latin American comprises 15% of the global fleet.

Aircraft performance and cost are two primary drivers for buyers, with aircraft range being the single most important specification, and payload and speed also ranking near the top. Honeywell also conducted an analysis of sustainability, finding that 81% of operators believe new, more fuel-efficient aircraft and engines are worth developing. Among those who are taking proactive steps to improve sustainability, 60% are acquiring more fuel-efficient aircraft.

Composites are key in this improved performance, and are being used by the following companies reported on in 2026:

• Dassault’s Falcon 10X jet rollout is set for March 2026. (CFRP wings built in Anglet, France using Hexcel prepregs reduce weight by >400 kilograms, minimize drag and enhance the aircraft’s high-speed and long-range performance while enabling takeoff on short runways and speeds up to Mach 0.925.) 
• Cirrus G3 Vision Jet unveiling builds upon years of composites and
  safety expertise. (Features seating for seven and Mach 0.54 operating limit for faster, more efficient travel than previous models, which also use a CFRP airframe (fuselage and wings) for increased durability, cabin space and structural integrity.)
• HondaJet Echelon program passes key milestones on the way to first 2026 flight. (Uses a CFRP fuselage to facilitate laminar flow, boost efficiency by 20% and increase cabin space, while composite doors aid in reducing weight, helping achieve a nonstop transcontinental range and max Mach 0.7 cruise speed.)
• Pilatus breaks ground on fifth flagship U.S. facility in Florida. (The site will serve many functions including production of the PC-24 jet which uses GFRP and CFRP in main landing gear doors, engine cowlings and mounting flaps, wingtips and trailing edges, ducts, rear fuselage fairings and tail structures to reduce weight, increasing payload by >90 kilograms, range to 3,704 kilometers and short takeoff ability as well as aerodynamic and structural efficiency.)

Other business jets making extensive use of composites include the Dassault Falcon 8X/7X, Gulfstream G650/G700/G800, Bombardier Global 7500/8000 and Challenger 3500, and Embraer Praetor 500/600.

Meeting the demand for increased production rates

“Meeting rate” has become a key mantra in the aircraft industry, for both commercial and military programs. Many of the news stories and feature articles CW has published over the past year showcase materials and processes that demonstrate paths to increased composite part production rates.

Resin transfer molding (RTM) has been used by Airbus and multiple Tier 1 suppliers to speed parts production, such as at Spirit AeroSystems’ (now Airbus’) high-rate spoiler production line in Prestwick, Scotland and the fan blades for the LEAP engine. After years of development — see HP-RTM for serial production of aerostructures and 2-part epoxy for increased aerostructures production — CTC Stade (Stade, Germany), an Airbus Company, completed the Smart & Sustainable RTM (SAUBER) 4.0 project (2021-2023) in collaboration with Airbus Operations GmbH, which has advanced use of 2K epoxy resins to the point of qualification.

The project demonstrated RTM using 2K epoxy in multiple parts, eliminating the long cure cycles and cold storage of premixed 1K systems. New sensors and techniques for ensuring proper mixing across injection cycles and composite parts were key enablers. Further process speed was achieved by integrating induction mats into RTM tools for fast, homogeneous heating while preforms were produced using tailored fiber placement (TFP) and dry fiber placement (DFP).

Tier 1 supplier Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI, Sacheon, South Korea) also demonstrated use of liquid resin molding to produce a 4.1 × 1.5-meter curved wing skin section with integrated stringers made with resin infusion as well as a 1.2 × 0.4-meter torsion box demonstrator using same qualified RTM (SQRTM) in a 2019-2023 program. (Read more: “KAI demonstrates thermoplastic and infused structures for future airframes.”)

Thermoplastic composites (TPC) are another key pathway toward faster production of large composite structures. In a separate 2019-2023 program, KAI developed a 3-meter-tall, 2-meter-wide TPC fuselage section, including automated fiber placement (AFP) to produce the skin, continuous compression molded (CCM) stringers, stamp formed clips and compression molded window frames from recycled materials, as well as assembly using induction and resistance welding. The company has also produced a 1.5-meter-long induction welded TPC wing control surface.

In its Highly Loaded Thermoplastic Wing Rib demonstrator project (2021-2025), Tier 1 supplier Daher (Nantes, France) combined advanced simulation, manufacturing and assembly techniques to demonstrate thick (up to 64 plies) TPC wing ribs for future commercial aircraft programs. Daher’s patented direct stamping process eliminates the consolidation step between layup and stamping, reducing cycle time and manufacturing cost while the patented infrared welding process developed by partner the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), enables fast assembly of two L-shaped components to form the T‑shaped rib, eliminating the cost, time and logistics of rivets. The program’s achievements include:

• 22% weight reduction versus aluminum
• 15% lower assembly cost and 25% shorter production cycle versus bolted assembly
• 12.5 tons CO_₂ saved per rib over an aircraft’s lifetime
• Full recyclability thanks to thermoplastic materials.

In October 2025, Greene Tweed (Kulpsville, Pa., U.S.) announced a 10-year agreement with one of the world’s largest commercial engine manufacturers to supply more than 50 custom parts made with its Xycomp DLF TPC material. Described as discontinuous long fiber (DLF), the material comprises chopped aerospace-grade prepreg tapes of carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK, PEKK or PEI which is compression molded using a proprietary process. The company has also now developed a TPC stator vane/engine guide vane, targeting a weight savings of 4 kilograms per engine. The company modified its HyFusion hybrid compression and injection molding process to meet a high production volume of 60 blades per engine for multiple engines per aircraft. The new process, call ColdFusion, enables cycle times of 20 minutes or less, enabling 10,000 parts/year using a mold with two cavities. (Read: “Cutting engine weight via thermoplastic composite guide vanes.”)

Increased automation and digitization is another key vector being used to significantly improve productivity in the composites supply chain. Examples CW reported on over the past year include the examples below.

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Wichita State University’s (WSU, Kan., U.S.) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) shows how its ATLAS lab leverages fiber patch placement (FPP) to replace hand layup in complex geometry applications featuring conical transitions, steps and convex /concave features — think fairings, antenna domes, nacelle inlets and sandwich structures with chamfer transitions. ATLAS demonstrates how its 10-axis Samba Pro system by Cevotec (Munich, Germany) — featuring an ultra-fast Scara pick-and-place robot and a six-axis tool manipulator — can be used to speed production via patch-based laminates that maintain fiber orientation and achieve thickness build-up at rates being targeted by current and future programs. (Read: “NIAR video documents how FPP advanced aerocomposites manufacturing.”)

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As Hill Helicopters (Stafford, U.K.) developed its HX50 helicopter, production of the composite main rotor blades had to meet a rate of 12 rotors/day while achieving a lightweight, robust structure with a narrow safe band of natural frequencies and minimizing manufacturing-induced variability. To do this, it replaced traditional multistep processes (separately manufactured spars are bonded to skins, foam cores are adhesively attached, and erosion shields are mechanically fastened as a final step) with a one-shot compression molding process that creates the entire blade structure in a single cure cycle.

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Bell Textron Inc. (Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.) has qualified and industrialized Syensqo’s (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.) patented double diaphragm forming (DDF) process and fast-cure Cycom EP 2750 aerospace prepreg to automate processing for high-rate, high-volume composite parts. Benefits include reduced operational costs, waste, energy consumption and emissions while using DDF has enabled Bell to remove small- to medium-size parts from the autoclave, maximizing that equipment for larger parts instead.

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Airbus Helicopters (Marignane, France) is boosting production at its Le Bourget factory, which makes composite blades and hub structures for all Airbus helicopter models, by implementing Airborne’s (The Hague, Netherlands) Automated Ply Placement (APP) and Kit by Light (KBL) technologies. APP is already used by Airbus Commercial for its A350 widebody aircraft program, automating the layup process for prepreg and dry fiber (read “Modular, robotic cells enable high-rate RTM using any material format”). New features for part size, layup and quality inspection will be added for Airbus Helicopters. KBL is already used at the Airbus Helicopters plant in Donauwörth, Germany. Building on that experience, the system will be implemented in the Le Bourget factory to reduce material waste and increase output. Airborne is also working to implement APP and KBL at FIDAMC, the renowned composites technocenter in Madrid, Spain.

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Spanish research center Ideko (Elgoibar) has helped to automate milling, drilling and trimming of carbon fiber composite parts in the ROBOCOMP project to boost efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Ideko worked to add intelligence and increased robot precision through improved mechatronics, system calibration and autonomous operation. Artificial vision systems and sensors are connected to a digital system that enables real-time process monitoring and analysis, identifying possible errors or deviations to ensure part quality and prevent rework.

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Loop Technology’s (Dorchester, U.K.) Fibreline system for high-rate preforming, now combined with Zünd’s (Oak Creek, Wis., U.S.) largest-ever digital cutting system, the Aero Q-Line, to achieve deposition rates of 200 kg/hr and higher, far beyond traditional manual layup and AFP/ATL, according to Loop.

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Bespline (Sherbrooke, QC, Canada) and Curve Works Holding (Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands) have jointly acquired the intellectual property (IP) and assets of Adapa A/S (Aalborg). Through jointly aligned operations, Addcomp in the Americas and Morphing Technologies in Europe will release a redesigned generation of digitally reconfigurable mold systems beginning in 2026 and support clients to expand the technology globally, including in aerospace composite parts production and next-gen manufacturing solutions. The technology uses a single digital molding system able to reconfigure in minutes to produce a variety of complex-shaped using processes including resin infusion, AFP preforming and thermoforming.

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Thin-ply prepregs have been used for decades to make composite structures lighter and tougher, including increasing impact resistance. Recent advancements include work by Airbus Helicopters, Fraunhofer IGCV and Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) within the NATURE project to develop an innovative construction method based on thin-walled shell structures with pseudo hollow-profile stiffeners enabling significant mass savings without compromising mechanical integrity. The consortium used a carbon fiber-reinforced LMPAEK thermoplastic polymer (Victrex, Clevelys, U.K.) prepreg made by Fukuvi Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. (Fukui, Japan), weighing only 36 gsm with a 45-micron thickness.

In a separate project, Airbus worked with AFP technology supplier MTorres (Torres de Elorz, Navarra, Spain) to address technical challenges when using thin-ply materials, enabling precise, defect-free laminates in closed/complex geometries for even lighter, more efficient high-performance composite structures. MTorres redesigned its AFP heads to maintain tow integrity, placement accuracy and process temperature control while the TorFiber CAM software now allows engineers to generate complex layup strategies with precise control automatically and with greater agility. This streamlines the programming process and reduces the time required to prepare such layups, making AFP more scalable for higher-volume and increased-rate production.

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Bonding and fastening are also being transformed. Bonded fastener technology supplier Click Bond (Carson City, Nev., U.S.) has launched its Digital Solutions, which use extended reality (XR) platforms to eliminate layout steps and physical templates, speeding installation, as well as real-time inspection to verify fastener placement to tolerances as tight as 1 millimeter. The technology also automatically logs installation records for digital traceability. In a pilot program, Vertical Aerospace (Bristol, U.K.) implemented Click Bond’s XR-guided installation, eliminating previous manual tasks and reducing the 3 weeks scheduled for one assembly to just 5 days (read: “Bonded fastening meets the digital factory”).

Click Bond has also acquired Brighton Science (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.), which will continue to operate independently, but further augment faster composites production by using its 2-second surface measurements and digital framework to help manufacturers achieve reliable, predictable bond quality for adhesive bonding, coating, sealing and painting operations (read: “Advancing bonding, coating and sealing to 4.0 systems for composites, metals and more”).

“Together, our companies will deliver new innovations for advanced manufacturing,” says Brighton Science CEO, Andy Reeher. “It’s crucial to exert process control that actually achieves speed without sacrificing quality or increasing cost. Companies no longer have time to repeat and redo cleaning, surface prep or application operations critical during aerostructures assembly.”

Civil UAS (UAV)/drone market

Per its annual report released in January 2026, the Teal Group forecasts the global market for recreational and commercial drones will double by 2034, with a 6.8% CAGR, but with a peak expansion for most sectors around 2029 as the technology matures and acquisition moves from end users to service providers.

The 822,039 drones now registered in the U.S. are split 53/46 commercial versus recreational use, changing from 50/50 in 2025 while registrations fell 3%. The study expects this split to widen as consumer demand continues to fall while cost of commercial systems continues to rise. The split in aircraft production value at the end of the 10-year forecast is 87% commercial and only 10% consumer systems.

While commercial markets are developing at very different rates globally, depending on whether regulations have been established, commercial UAS are moving to a service-based market with drone acquisition for inspections in energy and agriculture transitioning from end users to service providers. Thus, the number of UAS customers will decrease but each will buy more drones. A second important factor is the move from expansion to replacement, meaning total fleets will not continue to grow in the out years. These trends are why Teal forecasts 8% CAGR versus the 30-40% from other analysts.

Advanced air mobility/eVTOL

According to a January 2026 article in Advanced Air Mobility International, 2026 is set to be a pivotal year, laying the groundwork for more robust operations expected in 2027-2030 and marking the transition from demonstrations to the first structured commercial routes. While the advanced air mobility (AAM) market won’t reach full commercial maturity in 2026, OEMs are working hard to achieve critical technical, regulatory and operational milestones that should achieve real progress toward widespread adoption.

Joby Aviation Inc. and Archer Aviation are expected to make notable progress in type certification (TC) with the FAA, potentially progressing toward limited commercial passenger routes with airlines and mobility operators. In Europe, Vertical Aerospace continues its certification activity with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and EASA.

Eve Air Mobility, backed by Embraer, is advancing toward 2027 certification and entry into service with test flights currently underway for Brazil’s ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency) while conducting a concurrent validation process with the FAA and collaborating with EASA in Europe. China’s EHang is already operating under a limited autonomous passenger certification within the region, and may expand its certified routes in 2026, achieving one of the earliest routine autonomous eVTOL operations worldwide. (Read: “EHang posts record Q4 revenue” and “deepens Hefei partnership for VT35 long-range eVTOL.”)

Perhaps the best resource for understanding this market is the AAM Reality Index compiled by SMG Consulting, which not only ranks each market entrant on a 0 to 10 scale, but also tracks their funding, likelihood of achieving targeted entry into service and aircraft orders by type and country.

Joby

In October 2025, Joby Aviation (Santa Cruz, Calif., U.S.) began manufacturing composite propeller blades at its Dayton, Ohio facility, which will eventually support production of up to 500 aircraft/year.

In November, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA, Riyadh) announced it will use FAA certification standards to create a streamlined approval process for Joby’s aircraft in Saudi Arabia. That month also saw Joby successfully complete a landmark flight test in the UAE, where it added another three vertiports to Dubai’s electric air taxi network.

In December 2025, Joby announced plans to double its U.S. manufacturing capacity and signed an agreement in January 2026 to acquire a second manufacturing facility in Dayton. Operations in the 700,000-square-foot facility are targeted to start in 2026.  It complements Joby’s existing production facilities in California and Ohio, and will support production up to four aircraft/month in 2027 with space for future growth.

Joby began flight testing its first FAA-conforming aircraft for type inspection authorization (TIA) in March 2026, paving the way for FAA pilots to conduct required TIA testing. This was announced days after the U.S. government cleared the way for mature designs like Joby’s to begin early operations as part of the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) which could significantly accelerate Joby’s path to commercial service. The company made further announcements in March 2026, including that it expects to carry its first passengers in Dubai in 2026.

Archer

In May 2025, Archer Aviation (Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.) announced it was selected as the official air taxi provider of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, using its Midnight piloted eVTOL designed to carry up to four passengers.

In June, it announced raising an additional $850 million in funding and two acquisitions in August, aimed at accelerating development of its next-generation defense aircraft in partnership with Anduril (Costa Mesa, Calif., U.S.). The company reported in October 2025 that its partner Soracle (Tokyo, Japan) will lead establishment of air taxi services in Osaka Prefecture. Archer also acquired Lilium GmbH’s (Munich, Germany) portfolio of ≈300 patent assets, including key innovations in high-voltage systems, battery management, aircraft design, flight controls, electric engines, propellers and ducted fans.

In November 2025, Archer signed an agreement with key partners to build the foundational framework for planned eVTOL operations in Saudi Arabia. In February 2026, it selected Bristol as the home of its UK Engineering Hub, which will support advanced engineering initiatives across both its commercial and defense programs, and confirmed in March 2026 that it will continue to expand its piloted Midnight fleet through 2026, targeting first passenger flights later in the year. Archer is also on track for piloted Midnight aircraft operations in the UAE.

Beta Technologies

Beta Technologies (S. Burlington, Vt., U.S.) is commercializing its family of Alia aircraft, comprising its Alia VTOL as well as Alia conventional takeoff and landing aircraft (CTOL), and deploying a network of more than 100 charging sites across the U.S. and Canada with 57 already active. At the end of 2025, Beta had a commercial aircraft backlog of 891 aircraft worth approximately $3.5 billion, including 289 firm orders and 602 options. Beta has also been selected to supply electric pusher motors to Eve Air Mobility, a 10-year opportunity worth up to $1 billion. In November 2025, the company raised more than $1 billion in a U.S. IPO and hit 100,000 nautical miles flown in three continents and 10 countries in December.

In March 2026, Surf Air Mobility signed a firm order for 25 of Beta’s all- electric Alia CTOL aircraft with options for 75 additional aircraft. The aircraft will be introduced into Surf Air Mobility’s platform for regional operations. In its March 2026 financial results, Beta noted continued building of its relationships with leaders in aerospace and defense, including GE Aerospace, General Dynamics and Eve Air Mobility. Beta has also received more than $4 million of project funding through a contract with U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command for Alia CTOL aircraft built to advance autonomous flight. The company also expects to deploy its aircraft through the eIPP, including in Utah’s uFLY project.

Eve Air Mobility

In February 2026, Eve Air Mobility (São José dos Campos, Brazil) announced it completed the first flight of its uncrewed full-scale eVTOL prototype and secured $150 million in financing to accelerate certification and commercialization. Eve plans for multiple flights in 2026 and will manufacture six conforming prototypes for certification flight test campaign. It has ≈2,900 potential orders from 30+ customers in 13 countries valued at more than $8 billion. The company is converting these to firm orders, including up to 100 aircraft each for Bristow and SkyWest.

Vertical Aerospace

Announced in 2025, Vertical Aerospace (Bristol, U.K.) has reportedly secured roughly 1,500 pre-orders for its piloted Valo eVTOL aircraft, designed for four to six passengers, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. Recent orders from JetSetGo and Heli Air Monaco support market development in India and the French Riviera.

In November 2025, following 20 months of piloted flight tests, Vertical gained design organization approval (DOA) privileges from the CAA, company completed a third full-scale prototype in December 2025 and is targeting full Type Certification by 2028 with the CAA and EASA.
Vertical has formed a long-term supplier partnership with Syensqo and uses its composite materials in the VX4 prototype aircraft, reportedly integrated across the entire structure. The VX4’s airframe will be manufactured by Aciturri Aerostructures (Mirando de Ebro, Spain), supporting Vertical’s transition to full commercial production.

Opened in Bristol in 2023, the 15,000-square-foot Vertical Energy Centre (VEC) has produced the battery systems used in the company’s piloted flight testing since 2024. In March 2026, Vertical announced that facility has been upgraded into a battery pack pilot production line with automated aerospace-grade manufacturing processes designed to support certification and production, improving efficiency, consistency and battery performance. A new 30,000-square-foot VEC2 powertrain hub facility adjacent to the existing site is expected to open later in 2026 and will triple battery production capacity. Vertical expects to supply ≈20 battery packs/aircraft over its lifetime and up to ≈45,000 battery sub-packs/year by 2035, targeting ≈40% gross margins. The company is advancing plans to expand its presence at Cotswold Airport, bringing total space to approximately 130,000 square feet. Located adjacent to the existing Flight Test Centre, this site is expected to deliver production capacity of more than 25 Valo aircraft/year.

Other AMM highlights:

• Kratos becomes exclusive U.S. manufacturer for Elroy Air Chaparral cargo VTOL.
• LIFT Aircraft initiates FAA process for Hexa eVTOL.
• Volocopter to launch European eVTOL sandbox program in 2026 featuring VoloCity, VoloXPro and optimizes eVTOL supply chain.
• RAMPF chosen to manufacture Cavorite X7 prototype eVTOL main body and North Aircraft Industries will produce Cavorite X7 VTOL composite wings.

Electrification of conventional aircraft

In addition to the AAM/eVTOL market, there is continued development toward electrification of more conventional fixed-wing aircraft (see the table and highlights below).

Aura Aero (Toulouse, France) launched its 11,000 square-foot facility at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park (Daytona, Fla., U.S.) in November 2025. This will serve as its U.S. headquarters and first production site. The initial production line will build the Integral family of two-seat, aerobatic-capable training aircraft, which feature a hybrid wood and carbon fiber-reinforced composite construction.

In 2028, the company plans to open a 500,000 square-foot assembly line for its 19-seater ERA regional aircraft and intends to be the world’s first hybrid-electric regional aircraft conceived to use a metal fuselage and carbon fiber composite wing. Aura Aero has partnered with Avel Robotics (Lorient, France) to design and produce the CFRP wing and other structural components. Avel has also expanded its composites production facility, integrated a third AFP robot, large industrial oven and new machining and inspection equipment. It will continue to support the industrialization of the ERA program and ramp up in production through 2026 and 2027. Aura Aero will also operate assembly lines in France.  

Current orders exceed 650 ERA aircraft, totaling more than $10.5 billion, with the U.S. accounting for one-third of these. The U.S. is also the largest training aircraft market in the world, with nearly 600 FAA-approved flight schools, more than 75,000 pilots and a growing demand for modern, cost-effective aircraft.

Bye Aerospace Inc. (Denver, Colo., U.S) is developing the eFlyer2 aircraft in partnership with Composite Approach (Redmond, Ore., U.S.), a carbon fiber composite prototyping and manufacturing company. The eFlyer series aims to disrupt the training aircraft market with reduced operating costs, high performance and zero-emission electric propulsion. “By combining our all-electric, aerodynamically efficient design with Composite Approach’s mastery of lightweight composite structures, we can demonstrate the first commercially viable all-electric aircraft to address the high costs of pilot training,” emphasizes Rod Zastrow, CEO of Bye Aerospace.

Deutsche Aircraft (Wessling, Germany) is developing the next generation of regional aircraft with the D328eco, a 40-seat, hybrid turboprop designed to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) but also with provision for future hybrid-electric propulsion integration. The company has chosen Aernnova (Álava, Spain) to deliver composite horizontal and vertical stabilizers for the empennage. Composites will also be used in fairings, landing gear doors and flight control movables, which will be produced by Aciturri. Construction of Deutsche Aircraft’s 62,000-square-meter final assembly facility began in 2023 and will have capacity for 48 D328eco aircraft per year. The aircraft development program is aiming for entry into service in Q4 2027.

Evio Inc. (Montreal, Canada), a hybrid-electric aircraft developer backed by investment and technical support from Boeing and collaborations with RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Canada, made its public debut in December 2025 with the launch of the Evio 810. The company has 450 orders for the hybrid-electric regional aircraft, which is targeted to enter service by the early 2030s. Evio projects a demand for more than 7,500 aircraft in this category over the next 20 years thanks to more than 5,000 regional turboprops and jets requiring replacement. Although composites haven’t been explicitly detailed, CEO Michael Derman previously co-founded Angeles Composite Technologies, and the 76-seat aircraft aims for high efficiency, suggesting lightweight materials to offset battery weight will be key.

Heart Aerospace (Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.) announced its relocation from Gothenburg, Sweden in April 2025. After a successful $107 million Series B funding round in 2024 and additional $40 million investment in 2025, the company prepared for first flights of its Heart X1 prototype and continued development of its Heart X2 prototype, including batteries, actuation systems, software and hybrid-electric hardware.

Targeting 2029 for the ES-30’s entry into service, Heart Aerospace has reported 250 firm orders and 191 letters of intent, mainly from U.S. carriers like United and Mesa Airline. In September 2024, the company announced it would patent a new nacelle integration design that uses automated composite technology and significantly improves the flight characteristics of its regional hybrid-electric aircraft, the ES-30, allowing it to operate on shorter runways. It also discussed creating a state-of-the-art aircraft manufacturing process using the latest technologies in composite manufacturing and product life cycle management, building a data-driven assembly line with high repeatability, automation and nondestructive inspection.

H₂-powered aircraft

One of the more exciting developments over the last year for H₂ in aircraft propulsion was the successful filling of liquid H₂ (LH₂) composite aviation tanks by a team that includes:

• Fabrum (Christchurch, New Zealand), developer of zero-emission transition technologies, including composite LH₂ tanks.
• AMSL Aero (Sydney, Australia), developer of the Vertiia H₂-eVTOL aircraft.
• Stralis Aircraft (Brisbane, Australia), developer of high-performance, low-operating-cost H₂-electric propulsion systems.

Fabrum designed and manufactured the advanced composite LH₂ tanks for aircraft companies AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft. The refueling was successfully completed at Fabrum’s dedicated LH₂ test facility at Christchurch Airport and highlighted several LH₂ technologies — including Fabrum’s triple-skin onboard tanks, featuring what is reported to be “groundbreaking” composites manufacturing techniques and the culmination of more than 20 years of R&D in cryogenics and composites. Fabrum’s LH₂ tank technology provides enhanced thermal insulation and fast refueling compared to conventional double-skin (dewar) tank designs — delivering up to 70% faster refueling times and an 80% reduction in boil-off losses.

AMSL Aero will install these tanks on its Vertiia aircraft for long-range flights, enabling it to achieve optimal range, payload and speed. In addition, Stralis Aircraft’s lightweight H₂-electric propulsion system will be powered by LH₂ from Fabrum’s cryogenic tanks, which are mounted on the wings of Stralis’ fixed-wing test aircraft. Stralis expects its H₂-electric propulsion system will enable travel up to 10 times further than battery-electric alternatives and save 20-50% on operational costs compared to fossil fuel. Its first H₂ test flight is expected to take off in Australasia within 6 months.

“Our lightweight composite tanks, together with our H₂ liquefier and refueling systems, are critical enablers for H₂-powered flight,” explains Christopher Boyle, managing director of Fabrum. “By bringing all the elements together for the first time on-site at an international airport — producing, storing and dispensing LH₂ into composite aviation tanks as a fuel — we’re proving that LH₂ technologies for aircraft are now available, and that H₂-electric flight will soon be a reality in Australasia.”

The long-time leader in developing H₂ aircraft propulsion has been ZeroAvia (Kamble, U.K. and Everett, Wash., U.S.). In November 2025, it received DOA by the UK CAA, a critical milestone on its path to certifying a H₂-electric engine intended for Part 23 aircraft.

However, in February 2026, news sources reported the ZeroAvia’s funding round in December 2025 was not sufficient to sustain its previous plans. The company reduced head count by roughly 50% and adjusted its development roadmap to focus on certifying just the fuel cell system (power generation system) by 2027, delaying the full ZA600 powertrain certification by 12-24 months, and pushing out the larger ZA2000 system to the early 2030s. Work on the electric propulsion components will continue at a slower pace, while the prioritized fuel cell module is a commercial product that could generate needed revenue.

The company reported in March 2026 that it signed a deal to support the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in the development and testing of LH₂ systems for aircraft. ZeroAvia will provide design guidance and assist in a multiyear testing project using its LH₂ test facility in the U.K.

In December 2025, Jekta Switzerland (Payerne, Switzerland) announced it would move forward with a 4-5-month flight test campaign beginning in January 2026 with its second subscale PHA-ZE 100 aircraft prototype. With ≈95% of its suppliers already secured, Jekta’s end goal is the construction of its first full-scale, H₂-powered aircraft with an all-composite fuselage. The propulsion system is being developed with ZeroAvia. Jekta abandoned its initial battery-electric concepts which were unable to meet the range and payload requirements for its 19-passenger seaplane.

In November 2025, H3 Dynamics (Toulouse), a French manufacturer of H₂- electric hybrid systems for aerospace and defense, and Hycco (Toulouse), designer of a new generation of ultra-thin composite materials used in H₂ fuel cell stacks, announced a strategic alliance. The partnership aims to advance H₂-electric hybrid systems to enable long-range flights for a variety of electric aircraft: light aviation, VTOLs, helicopters, business jets, seaplanes, airships and, at a later stage, commercial aircraft. It will also support European trials of long-range drone missions (air, sea, land) where electric propulsion significantly reduces thermal and acoustic signatures.

New developments in …

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Repair

RVmagnetics, Airbus collaborate on sensing mat for OOA composite aircraft repair. TLR 5-validated technology supports real-time, multi-point monitoring of cure cycles and heat distribution of aircraft structures via passive sensors. (Microwire has also been validated for sensing in cryogenic conditions.)

CompPair, Diab partnership validates healable composite sandwich structures. Collaboration has validated HealTech solutions with sandwich structures using Divinycell foam cores for applications including aircraft interior panels, aircraft fairings and radomes.

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Morphing

GKN Aerospace, partners complete MANTA program. Four morphing control surface technologies were demonstrated including thermoplastic composites, a fluid-driven trailing edge, combined flap/aileron and an air intake flap.

Composite morphing wing advances intelligent, gap-free, step-free movement. Within the morphAIR project, the DLR Institute for Lightweight Construction has completed ground testing and finalized the first HyTEM morphing wing as it prepares for flight test on its PROTEUS unmanned aircraft.

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Automated NDT

Flexible, automatic NDT platform for manufacturing composites. IRT Jules Verne, working with Airbus, Daher and French consortium developed a mobile robotic inspection platform that uses less space, water.

Robotic computed laminography brings X-ray CT resolution to large composite structures. Omni NDE collaborative robots, X-ray end effectors and Voxray’s reconstruction approach enables 5-micron inspection of aerospace parts without size constraints.