South America Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The South America aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul market size was valued at USD 5.50 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow from USD 5.68 billion in 2026 to reach USD 6.69 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 3.33% during the forecast period (2026-2031). This report is segmented by MRO Type (Airframe MRO, Engine MRO, Component MRO, and More), Aircraft Type (Fixed-Wing and Rotary-Wing), Application (Commercial Aviation, Military Aviation, and General Aviation), Service Provider (Airline-Affiliated MRO, and More), and Geography (Brazil, Colombia, and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

South America Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Market Trends and Insights

Commercial Fleet and Passenger Traffic Recovery

Aircraft utilization continued to increase across major South American aviation markets in 2025. Brazil transported 129.6 million passengers, up 9.4% year over year, while Argentina reached 50.65 million passengers, up 12%. Colombia recorded 57.52 million passengers, and Peru reached 44.7 million, up 5.5%. Peru also recorded more than 476,000 aircraft operations, an increase of 4.6%. Higher flight activity directly supports MRO demand because maintenance intervals are linked to flight hours, landings, and calendar time. LATAM provides a direct example: aircraft maintenance expense increased 5.7% to USD 862.7 million in 2025, partly due to higher operational activity. Continued traffic and fleet utilization therefore support line maintenance, scheduled checks, component replacement, and other utilization-driven services across the South America aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul market.

Fleet Aging and Airworthiness-Driven Maintenance Demand

South American airline fleets combine legacy aircraft with new-generation narrowbodies, driving demand for a range of maintenance technologies. LATAM ended 2025 with 371 aircraft and an average fleet age of 12.2 years after adding 26 aircraft during the year, including 24 A320-family narrowbodies. GOL Aerotech supports B737 Classic, B737NG, and B737 MAX aircraft and performs CFM56-7B and limited LEAP-1B engine work, while LATAM operates PW1100G-powered A320neo-family aircraft under a long-term Pratt & Whitney maintenance agreement. Regulatory requirements are also becoming more reliability-based. ANAC published IS 120-017A in March 2025, establishing an acceptable reliability program methodology for Brazilian public air transport operators and aligning maintenance program requirements more closely with the US regulatory approach. This mixed fleet and regulatory environment supports demand for certified airframe, engine, component, and reliability-management capabilities.

Skilled Technician and Licensed Inspector Shortages

The availability of qualified maintenance personnel is becoming an important capacity constraint for the South America aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul market. Boeing projects that Latin America will require 42,000 new maintenance technicians through 2045, reflecting both fleet growth and the replacement of workers leaving the industry. Brazil already shows strong demand for technical training. LATAM opened its School of Mechanics at the São Carlos MRO in December 2024, with 70 employee-students, and opened the program to external candidates in August 2025. The first external selection attracted around 1,700 applicants for an initial 20 places, prompting the airline to expand the class. Continued hiring and training requirements can constrain the pace at which MRO providers build capacity in specialist areas such as engines, avionics, and structural maintenance, where certification and practical experience take time to develop.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Embraer-Centered Regional Jet and Executive Aviation Ecosystem
• Digital Predictive Maintenance and Connected-Aircraft Adoption
• Foreign-Exchange Volatility and Imported-Part Cost Exposure

Segment Analysis

Engine MRO accounted for an estimated 44.50% of the South America aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul market in 2025, reflecting the high value and technical complexity of engine inspection, repair, and overhaul across legacy and new-generation fleets. Demand is supported by the region's mix of CFM56-, V2500-, LEAP-, and PW1100G-powered aircraft. Azul operates LEAP-1A-powered A320neos, LATAM operates PW1100G-JM-powered A320neo-family aircraft, and Avianca has selected LEAP-1A engines for additional A320neo-family aircraft, while GOL's B737 MAX fleet uses LEAP-1B engines. Full engine overhaul capability remains capital-, tooling-, and certification-intensive, which keeps engine MRO concentrated among larger airline-affiliated, OEM-linked, and specialized providers.

Component MRO is forecast to be the fastest-growing MRO type, expanding at a 4.75% CAGR through 2031, as regional repair capability develops across landing gear, avionics, structures, and other repairable components. In April 2026, DTX Aerospace and Liebherr-Aerospace signed a License Service Agreement authorizing DTX's ANAC-approved Rio de Janeiro facility to maintain Embraer ERJ-family nose landing gear components, with access to OEM technical documentation, genuine spare parts, and engineering support. Airframe, line maintenance, and modification activity also remain relevant, supported by South America's large installed fleet. LATAM ended 2025 with 223 A320ceo-family aircraft and 68 A320neo-family aircraft, and plans to retrofit 41 B787 shipsets with RECARO premium seating beginning in 2027. These developments support broader regional MRO capability beyond engine overhaul.

Fixed-wing aircraft accounted for an estimated 84.25% of the South America aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul market in 2025, supported by the region's large commercial airline fleet and military fixed-wing platforms. The segment benefits from recurring maintenance across legacy and new-generation aircraft, including scheduled airframe, engine, and component work. The large installed base of earlier-generation aircraft continues to require regular maintenance, while commercial, cargo, regional, and government fleets provide a broad and recurring workload. Rotary-wing MRO remains a smaller segment, supported primarily by Brazil's offshore energy, public service, search-and-rescue, and aeromedical helicopter operations.

Fixed-wing aircraft are also forecast to be the fastest-growing aircraft type, expanding at a 4.40% CAGR through 2031, as new narrowbody deliveries increase requirements for approved maintenance programs, tooling, technical data, trained personnel, and component support. In July 2026, Avianca selected 100 CFM LEAP-1A engines for 50 A320neo-family aircraft under an Abra Group agreement that also includes spare engines and long-term services covering Avianca's A320neo-family fleet and GOL's LEAP-1B-powered B737 MAX fleet. Avianca states that aircraft already in service and on order across Abra brands will represent more than 650 LEAP-powered aircraft. This expanding new-generation fleet base will support sustained fixed-wing maintenance demand across South America.

Complete Report Scope:

• By MRO Type
  • Airframe MRO
  • Engine MRO
  • Component MRO
  • Line Maintenance
  • Modifications and Upgrades
• By Aircraft Type
  • Fixed-Wing
  • Rotary-Wing
• By Application
  • Commercial Aviation
    • Passenger
    • Cargo/Freighter
  • Military Aviation
  • General Aviation
• By Service Provider
  • Airline-affiliated MRO
  • Independent Third-party MRO
  • OEM-Captive MRO
  • Military Depots
• By Geography
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • Argentina
  • Chile
  • Peru
  • Ecuador
  • Rest of South America

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• MRO Holdings Group
• Azul S.A. (Azul TecOps)
• GOL Linhas Aéreas S.A.
• RTX Corporation
• Embraer S.A.
• GE Aerospace (General Electric Company)
• Safran SA
• MTU Aero Engines AG
• Rolls-Royce Holdings plc
• FAdeA S.A.
• IAS - Indústria de Aviação e Serviços
• Helibras (Airbus SE)
• LATAM Airlines Group S.A.
• APAS Chile

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support