# Aviation propulsion and Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft

Aircraft builders cannot deliver without engines, and narrowbody engines come from very few suppliers, mainly CFM and Pratt & Whitney, so engine output and engine faults now set how many aircraft reach airlines.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/links/aviation-propulsion-and-vehicles-ships-rail-aircraft/

[Aviation propulsion](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_aviation/) (energy) and [Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/vehicles/) (industry): 3 relationships.

## How they are linked

### 1. Engines gate deliveries

*Physical flow · Strong · Aviation propulsion → aircraft builders*

An airliner is delivered only with its engines fitted, so engine output limits airframe deliveries; the site rates aviation propulsion 5 of 5 on criticality for aircraft, ship and rolling-stock builders.

- **5 of 5** criticality for aircraft, ship and rolling-stock builders
- **at least 5,300** aircraft delivery shortfall against plans, 2025
- **1,802** LEAP engines delivered in 2025, up 28% on 2024

IATA says airframe production is outpacing engine production, and some finished airframes wait for engines. Airbus is preparing for 75 A320 family aircraft a month in 2027, and Safran is ramping LEAP output to match, so the engine ramp is the pacing item.

Enterprise types that depend on it:

- Aircraft, ship and rolling-stock builders: aircraft propulsion (criticality 5 of 5)

Sources: [Material Insights](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/vehicles/materials/); [IATA](https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-12-09-02/); [Leeham News](https://leehamnews.com/2026/02/13/safran-hails-outstanding-2025-prepares-for-airbus-ramp-up/); [Safran](https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/safran-reports-excellent-financial-performance-2025-and-raises-its-2028-ambitions-2026-02-13)

### 2. Few engine suppliers

*Shared risk · Strong · A handful of engine types power most flights*

Each airliner is certified with only one or two engine options, so engine makers face little competition once an airframe is chosen, and a fault in one engine type hits every operator of it.

- **over 40%** of European flights powered by the CFM56 in 2025, with the LEAP adding almost 15%
- **almost 90%** of European flights powered by the top five engine types, 2025
- **176** A320neos in IndiGo's 334-aircraft fleet in November 2023, when more than 40 aircraft were grounded by GTF engine issues

The A320neo is offered with either the CFM LEAP-1A or the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G. Powder metal defects in the Pratt & Whitney GTF family forced inspections that grounded large parts of some A320neo fleets, IndiGo's among them, which shows how an engine fault becomes an aircraft availability problem.

Sources: [Aviation Week](https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/flight-friday-cfm-engines-power-majority-european-commercial); [IBA](https://www.iba.aero/insight/narrowbody-aircraft-engine-value-trends-update-october-2021/); [Aviacionline](https://www.aviacionline.com/indigo-and-the-operational-impact-of-pratt-whitney-engine-issues)

### 3. Engine shortage costs

*Cost and price · Rising · Engine shortages raise aircraft operating costs*

When new aircraft arrive late and engines spend longer in repair, airlines keep older, thirstier aircraft flying and lease spare engines, so engine scarcity shows up as cost and as value for engine owners.

- **over US$ 11 billion** cost of supply chain bottlenecks to airlines, 2025
- **about US$ 2.6 billion** of that spent on engine leasing, 2025
- **about US$ 4.2 billion** of that in excess fuel from older aircraft, 2025

The same scarcity lifts the engine makers' aftermarket: Safran's Propulsion aftermarket revenue rose 21% in 2025. Narrowbody engine values rose in 2025 on limited engine supply and strong airline demand, so engine owners gain while airlines and airframers pay.

Sources: [IATA](https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-12-09-02/); [Aircraft Value News](https://www.aircraftvaluenews.com/narrowbody-engine-values-surge-as-leap-and-pw1100g-lead-the-charge/); [Safran](https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/safran-reports-excellent-financial-performance-2025-and-raises-its-2028-ambitions-2026-02-13)

## For investors

### Key learnings

1. Engine output is the pacing item for aircraft deliveries, with a delivery shortfall of at least 5,300 aircraft in 2025.
2. Narrowbody engines are close to a duopoly, so one engine fault, such as the GTF powder metal problem, can ground a large share of an airline's fleet.
3. Scarcity moves profit to engine makers' aftermarket and engine lessors, while airlines bore over US$ 11 billion of extra cost in 2025.

### What to track

- **LEAP and GTF engine deliveries**: Faster deliveries ease the airframe backlog (Quarterly · Safran, GE and RTX results)
- **Aircraft parked for engine reasons**: A rising count signals worse engine availability (Monthly · airline disclosures, IATA)
- **Engine lease rates and values**: Rising rates show continued engine scarcity (Quarterly · appraiser reports)

## For policymakers

### Key learnings

1. Indian airlines run large A320neo fleets, so engine faults from a single supplier directly cut domestic air capacity, as the GTF groundings showed.
2. Engine repair capacity, such as Safran's LEAP centre in Hyderabad, shortens the time aircraft spend on the ground and keeps repair spending in India.
3. Engine supply is concentrated in a few Western firms, so aircraft availability for Indian airlines depends on their production plans as much as on domestic demand.

### What to track

- **Aircraft grounded by engine issues at Indian airlines**: Measures capacity lost to engine faults (Quarterly · airline results, DGCA)
- **Engine repair capacity in India**: Shows how much engine work stays in the country (Annual · Ministry of Civil Aviation, company announcements)

## India

IndiGo had more than 40 aircraft grounded in late 2023 by Pratt & Whitney GTF engine issues, out of a 334-aircraft fleet with 176 A320neos, and Safran has opened its largest LEAP repair centre in Hyderabad.

## Sources

1. [Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft: materials](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/vehicles/materials/), Material Insights (2026)
2. [Aerospace supply chain bottlenecks continue to constrain airlines](https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-12-09-02/), IATA (2025)
3. [Flight Friday: CFM engines power majority of European commercial flights in 2025](https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/flight-friday-cfm-engines-power-majority-european-commercial), Aviation Week (2025)
4. [Narrowbody aircraft engine value trends, update October 2021](https://www.iba.aero/insight/narrowbody-aircraft-engine-value-trends-update-october-2021/), IBA (2021)
5. [Safran hails 'outstanding' 2025; prepares for Airbus ramp-up](https://leehamnews.com/2026/02/13/safran-hails-outstanding-2025-prepares-for-airbus-ramp-up/), Leeham News (2026)
6. [IndiGo and the operational impact of Pratt & Whitney engine issues](https://www.aviacionline.com/indigo-and-the-operational-impact-of-pratt-whitney-engine-issues), Aviacionline (2023)
7. [Narrowbody engine values surge as LEAP and PW1100G lead the charge](https://www.aircraftvaluenews.com/narrowbody-engine-values-surge-as-leap-and-pw1100g-lead-the-charge/), Aircraft Value News (2025)
8. [Safran reports excellent financial performance in 2025 and raises its 2028 ambitions](https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/safran-reports-excellent-financial-performance-2025-and-raises-its-2028-ambitions-2026-02-13), Safran (2026)