The aviation sector will have a year it can approach with renewed confidence. Profitability is on the rise worldwide, airlines are opening new routes at a fast pace, and new aircraft designs are opening the door to more sustainable travel.
Efficiency-driving technologies the industry is already well-acquainted with – like predictive maintenance – are growing in use, and the need to familiarise staff with digitalisation persists.
In this article, we review some trends the industry will witness in 2026.
Profitability Is Set to Increase
IATA has forecast a 4.9% year-on-year growth in passenger traffic, which is actually a slight deceleration compared to last year. This is due to supply chain constraints including limited aircraft availability and labour shortages.
Regardless, the sector is poised to achieve record-breaking profits in 2026 thanks to record-high load factors and fleet utilisation, combined with an expansion of ancillary revenues. Total profits worldwide are forecast to reach $41 billion, up from $39.5 billion in 2025. A stable net margin of 3.9% is also expected.
Europe is due to profit the most, largely due to Turkey’s performance, with forecast profits reaching $14 billion. The highest margins will be found in the Middle East, while Asia Pacific will see the fastest growth rates.
New Long-Haul Routes to be Introduced
Many airlines will be introducing longer routes in 2026. Alaska Airlines is set to launch services from Seattle to both London and Rome. Air Canada is also extending its long-haul network, with new routes from Montréal to Palma de Mallorca and Catania, additional services from Toronto to Shanghai and Budapest, and expanded long-range operations from Vancouver to Bangkok.
Looking slightly further ahead, China Eastern Airlines’ plans for a 29-hour service between Shanghai and Buenos Aires are making progress. The inaugural flight was completed on the 4th December, with a brief refuelling stop in Auckland. Service may commence in 2027.
New Aircraft to Enter Into Service
New aircraft entering service will be another defining theme for 2026, as manufacturers start translating years of development into fleet upgrades.
Boeing 737 MAX
After a period of delays, the FAA has approved an increase in Boeing’s monthly 737 MAX output from 38 to 42 aircraft. Certification of the latest MAX variant (of which Southwest Airlines currently holds around 90% of outstanding orders) is anticipated in 2026, with commercial operations planned for Q1 2027. Deliveries of the Boeing 787 are also expected to increase.
Boeing 777X
Anticipation is building around the long-delayed Boeing 777X, with some forecasts suggesting initial deliveries could start in 2026. The aircraft promises significant performance gains, including roughly 20% lower fuel burn and emissions, around 10% lower operating costs, and a 40% lower noise footprint, alongside a redesigned passenger experience with a quieter and more spacious cabin, and larger windows.
A distinctive design feature of the 777X is its folding wingtips, which extend outwards in flight to increase wingspan and aerodynamic efficiency, then fold upwards on the ground to maintain compatibility with existing airport infrastructure.
Airbus A321XLR
Airbus is moving forward with the A321XLR entering service. The first 50 airframes are due for delivery soon and American Airlines is set to become the first operator to use this model.
The aircraft’s extended range (up to 11 hours) will allow for longer routes, while offering 30% lower fuel burn and CO₂ emissions, a 50% reduction in noise footprint, and a renewed cabin design. They’re expected to use 50% SAF initially, which is intended to increase to 100% by 2030.
Airbus A350-1000ULR
Looking slightly beyond 2026, Airbus has completed the first A350-1000ULR, the ultra-long-range aircraft that will underpin Qantas’ “Project Sunrise” nonstop flights from Sydney to London and New York. Entry into service is expected in 2027.
Adoption of Predictive Maintenance Is Set to Increase
According to a report by Fortune Business Insights, the global market for predictive maintenance for aircraft is forecast to be worth USD 5.35 billion in 2026 (up from USD 4.51 billion in 2025), and will reach USD 18.87 billion by 2034, a CAGR of 17.1%.
Driving this growth is the need for better dispatch reliability and reduced unscheduled removals. Other contributing factors include reduced costs of edge computing and SATCOM, and labour shortages in the MRO workforce.
The fixed-wing segment had the largest market share in 2025. These aircraft generate the greatest amount of operational telemetry and integrate deeply with OEM predictive maintenance platforms.
SAF Mandates Persist — But So Do Shortages
Regulations across the world mandate airlines to continue increasing the proportion of sustainable fuels used. However, the availability of SAF is lagging and, according to Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, it won’t be possible to reach 2030 targets based on current production volumes. The cost of producing these fuels is also increasing.
Walsh expressed criticism towards regulators that are enforcing mandates for SAF that simply isn’t available and forcing companies to pass the costs onto customers.
IATA forecasts a total of 2.4 million metric tonnes of SAF to be available in 2026. This only covers 0.8% of total consumption.
Workforce Development Trends
While the industry still faces a long-term shortage of engineers and pilots, 2026 brings encouraging movement. On 12th December 2025, the UK government announced that a further £750,000 will be channelled into the “Reach for the Sky” initiative that funds projects encouraging young people to pursue careers in the sector. Likewise, the US’ Aviation Workforce Development Grants are ongoing.
Recruitment company, Aviation Indeed, reports seeing an increased number of applications for maintenance roles and suggests that key competencies for 2026 will include:
- Avionics troubleshooting.
- Handling predictive maintenance systems.
- Precision servicing of next-generation aircraft.
More broadly speaking, various roles will need further training in digital skills, as new technologies like biometric boarding and various automation systems make their way into airports across the world. Staff in various roles will need to be proficient in data dashboards and will be expected to adapt quickly to new technologies.
Biometrics Adoption Will Grow
Of course, the implementation of Europe’s Entry/Exit system began on 12th October and is due for completion by 10th April 2026. Digital tracking will replace passport staps in 29 countries. Many US airports are also adopting biometrics ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In IATA’s most recent Global Passenger Survey, the use of biometrics was one of the top rising trends. 10,000 responses across 200 countries were analysed, and more than half of passengers reported using biometrics at some point during their journey. 85% claimed they were happy with the experience and 74% said would be prepared to share more biometric information ahead of time in order to bypass passport control.
Conclusion
In 2026, the aviation industry is due to advance on multiple fronts. New aircraft will enter service, demand remains strong, profits will grow, and new long-haul routes will be introduced.
Sustainability transitions continue (though perhaps not at the pace required by regulators due to a lack of SAFs) and despite ongoing labour shortages, initiatives to encourage young people to enter the industry are in-motion.
Digitisation and the adoption of technologies like predictive maintenance continue to rise. To leverage predictive maintenance, operators need robust aviation MRO software capable of managing huge volumes of data generated across fleets.
OASES and the upcoming OASES Lumina are built to help businesses be ready for these new changes. Contact us to learn more or request a demo.