The UK has built a strong reputation for designing and manufacturing some of the world’s most advanced aerospace technologies. However, a growing industry debate now asks whether the country captures enough value once those aircraft enter service.
Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) plays a critical role after aircraft enter service. Aircraft can remain operational for decades, creating long-term demand for replacement components, repairs and upgrades. Yet despite the UK’s established aerospace manufacturing capabilities, its share of the global MRO market remains comparatively small, making UK aerospace MRO an increasingly important area of opportunity.
Recent analysis from the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) highlights the scale of the opportunity. The UK accounts for around 13% of global aerospace original equipment supply chains, but only around 3% of the global MRO market. With the UK aerospace sector supporting more than 100,000 jobs and generating £34 billion in annual turnover, NMIS argues that a more coordinated approach to MRO would open up further economic and industrial opportunities.
Why is MRO becoming more important?
The global aerospace fleet is getting older, while airlines and operators still need new aircraft. Delays to new aircraft deliveries mean operators must keep existing fleets flying for longer, which increases demand for maintenance and replacement parts.
At the same time, modern aircraft are becoming increasingly complex. Maintaining them requires specialist knowledge, advanced manufacturing capability and reliable access to components throughout their operational lives.
The wider supply chain therefore needs manufacturers that can produce replacement components, tooling, fixtures and specialist parts quickly and consistently, often in relatively low volumes.
For UK precision engineering companies, that demand could create a significant opportunity.
A different type of manufacturing challenge
MRO manufacturing does not usually involve producing thousands of identical components. Instead, suppliers often need to manufacture smaller quantities of technically demanding parts, respond to changing requirements and reproduce components designed many years earlier.
That work creates a different set of priorities from high-volume aerospace production.
Manufacturers need to combine:
- Precision – components must meet demanding dimensional and performance requirements.
- Repeatability – replacement parts need to deliver consistent quality across production runs.
- Traceability – aerospace customers need confidence in material, processes and inspection.
- Responsiveness – customers can need replacement components within tight timescales.
- Flexibility – suppliers may need to support a broad range of components and materials.
- Engineering expertise – understanding the manufacturing process can be just as important as having the right equipment.
These requirements play directly into the strengths of established UK precision engineering businesses.
Could MRO strengthen the UK aerospace supply chain?
A greater focus on MRO could also support the government’s wider objective of building more resilient domestic manufacturing capability.
Recent defence investment has placed greater emphasis on sovereign capability and secure supply chains, while aerospace manufacturers are also looking to reduce risks associated with long and complex global supply networks.
MRO presents an opportunity to retain more of that work within the UK.
Rather than sending aircraft components overseas for manufacture, repair or replacement, a stronger domestic MRO ecosystem could create additional work for UK engineering companies across the supply chain.
This could include:
- Replacement and obsolete components
- Precision-machined parts
- Specialist tooling and fixtures
- Structural components
- Repair and refurbishment
- Low-volume production
- Engineering modifications and upgrades
The result could be a more resilient aerospace manufacturing ecosystem that supports aircraft not just when they are built, but throughout their operational lives.
What does this mean for precision engineering?
For companies such as Accura Engineering, the potential growth of UK aerospace MRO reinforces the importance of having flexible manufacturing capability.
MRO requirements can differ significantly from conventional production programmes. A component may be required in relatively small quantities, have tight tolerances and need to be manufactured within a challenging timeframe. There may also be additional requirements around material certification, inspection and traceability.
This is where precision engineering adds real value: by helping aerospace customers source accurate, traceable and technically demanding components when conventional production models may not suit the requirement.
Accura’s experience in complex, lower-volume manufacturing enables the business to support applications where flexibility, accuracy and responsiveness are essential. Its machining capabilities cover multi-axis milling, mill-turn, grinding, laser and Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM), allowing different manufacturing approaches to be brought together depending on the requirements of the component.
Its AS9100 and NADCAP accreditations also provide the quality framework needed to support demanding aerospace applications.
An opportunity beyond traditional aerospace manufacturing
The UK’s aerospace industry has traditionally been recognised for its ability to design and manufacture advanced aircraft and components. The emerging MRO discussion suggests there may be another opportunity: capturing more of the value created throughout the aircraft lifecycle.
That trend matters because demand for new aircraft continues to grow while existing fleets need more frequent maintenance, replacement parts and upgrades.
For UK manufacturers, this represents more than an opportunity to win additional contracts. A stronger MRO ecosystem could support skilled engineering jobs and create new opportunities for companies that can manufacture complex components efficiently and reliably.
Building a stronger aerospace supply chain
The UK already has many of the ingredients needed to compete in MRO: a world-class aerospace sector, experienced engineering businesses, advanced manufacturing capability and a highly skilled workforce.
The challenge is connecting these capabilities and ensuring UK manufacturers are positioned to capture more of the growing global market.
For precision engineering businesses, that means continuing to invest in technology, skills, quality and process efficiency while remaining flexible enough to support the varied requirements of aerospace programmes.
The opportunity is significant. The question is whether the UK can turn its existing aerospace expertise into a stronger position across the entire aircraft lifecycle, with UK aerospace MRO playing a greater role in long-term manufacturing growth.
Accura has built capabilities in precision manufacturing, complex low-volume work, with quality control built around AS9100 and NADCAP from a secure UK manufacturing base.
