Aviation Industry Post Pandemic Update for Manufacturers

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL, July 6, 2021

The modern aviation industry is slowly seeing positive growth for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

United Airlines announced in late June they will post a positive income for the first time since January 2020. They moved forward with the purchase of approximately 270 narrow body aircrafts from both Boeing and Airbus, valued at $30 billion. This will not only support the narrow body aviation route growth, but the industry as a whole during this time of rebuilding.

The importance of aviation is often understated. Because of the innovation, we are able to connect different continents, countries, and cultures. Global aviation is more than just the airline industry, aircraft manufacturers and the travel industries that indirectly benefit.  This industry is key to facilitating efficient and safe travel. 

Positive Economic Impacts from Aviation

The economic activity of general aviation reaches all 50 states with the largest number of jobs coming from California followed by Florida. PricewaterhouseCoopers describes four positive economic impacts that the general aviation industry brings. 

• Direct impact – economic activity within the general aviation industry
• Indirect impact – economic activity within the supply chain associate with general aviation industry
• Induced impact – economic activity resulting from household spending
• Enabled impact – economic activity resulting from visitors destination expenditures

The aviation industry has been seen as a key contributor to global economic prosperity. In 2018, the general aviation industry supported 1.2 million jobs and over $247 billion in output. It offers improvements to global trade, boosts the tourism industry and even local economies. In order to survive and thrive in the post-COVID-19 world, airlines will have to look for greater efficiencies and lean heavily on their OEM for help in the process.

Supplying Aviation Machine Tool Innovation

While the industry continues to work through the disruption that COVID-19 has caused, development still continues as safety, comfort and efficiency continue to evolve.

Shibaura Machine has been a long-time recognized leader in precision machine tool solutions for the aviation industry. With high-precision machine solutions built specifically for the needs of aviation manufacturers, they allow for complex shapes, large part sizes, and the use of exotic metals. Competitively priced, the 3-axes Shibaura Machine TUE series for turbine engine components which excels in cutting difficult to cut materials or BTH and BP precision boring mills machines supporting the machining of precision assembly tooling and critical landing gear components. The MPJ-M double column machine series with 5-axes spindle options and MCW gantry style machine with options such as built in rotary table are also purpose built to machine large structural aviation workpieces.

While the past 18 months have brought unprecedented disruption to the aviation industry, it is starting to turn a corner. Shibaura Machine remains committed to providing the most innovative solutions to our aviation customers so they can improve quality, enhance productivity and reduce costs as they move forward.

Contact us at MT-Sales@shibaura-machine.com.