Global More Electric Aircraft Market: Growth, Trends, and Forecast (Outlook to 2030)

Relative to conventional aircraft, More Electric Aircraft (MEA) result in less dependency on carbon-based fuels, less NOx and Carbon emissions, higher efficiency, more reliability, and reduced noise, which could end night flight bans in many airports. All these attributes act as critical drivers of the more electric aircraft market, helping the aviation industry cut their fuel and maintenance expenditure and increase their profit margins. 

More electric aircraft are conventional aircraft but with the increased number of functions performed electrically by new and improved sub electric systems at a reduced weight.

More Electric Aircraft (MEA) applications demand high reliability, high availability, and high-power density. New electric-driven systems are being developed to meet these requirements and provide significant technical and economic improvements over conventional mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic systems. They do this while also aiming to reduce weight, complexity, fuel consumption, operational costs, and environmental impact.

Tremendous technological progress has been made with the latest-generation combustion engines and Smart electronic management, making them potentially more compatible with new digital technologies, allowing data to be collected and analyzed for greater automation, optimized flight, and better power conversion failure prediction and management. Hybrid layouts are another way to reduce weight, fuel burn, and environmental impact, especially by avoiding the need to design the main combustion engine to meet maximum power requirements, for example, at take-off.

Restraints to More Electric Aircraft Market

• High initial capital requirement
• Safety and reliability concerns over electrification
• Regulatory challenges such as long airworthiness clearence time
• Immature energy storage device technology for aviation

MEA technologies are continually evolving, which offer growth opportunities as systems continue to be enhanced. For instance, BAE Systems introduced fly-by-wire technology (an electronic system that is lighter and can save fuel). It replaced the flight control components, which were mechanical, and used cables and pulleys to connect the pilot's yoke and pedals to the aircraft's control surfaces. The system has successfully flown on more than 50 different aircrafts and accumulated more than 150 million flight hours.

As MEA technologies advance, smaller components will be used, continuing to reduce costs and improve operating efficiencies.

The transition to an all electric aircraft market, which would be controlled by small, computerized electric motors, is still many years in the future. Meanwhile, MEA will bridge two eras in aircraft technology as planes shed some of the traditional pneumatic and hydraulic systems for lighter, simpler, electric, and electronic replacements.

Recent Developments in More Electric Aircraft Market

• Honeywell International Inc launched 'Anthem', the first cloud-connected cockpit system. It improves flight efficiency, operations, safety, and comfort; can be customized for every type of aircraft.
• Safran has developed electric taxiing solution, with an electric motor in the landing gear, powered by the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), so that the pilots no longer have to use jet engines for taxiing. Electric taxiing offers 4% fuel savings. This innovation is being developed with Airbus for the new A320 Neo. The technology is going to be rolled out to service in 2022 
• Most OEMs such as Safran, Honeywell International Inc, Rolls Royce Holdings PLC are working on the electric propulsion system.

Blackridge Research's Global More Electric Aircraft Market report provides insights into the current global and regional market demand scenario and its outlook.

The study offers a detailed analysis of various factors instrumental in affecting the Global More Electric Aircraft Market's growth. The study also comprehensively analyses the global more electric aircraft market by segmenting it based on geography (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World), by aircraft system (Propulsion system and Airframe system), by application, and by aircraft type.

The report also addresses present and future market opportunities, trends, developments, Covid 19 impact on the more electric aircraft market, critical commercial developments, key companies, trends, regions, and segments poised for the fastest-growth, competitive landscape.

Further, global more electric aircraft market size, demand forecast, growth rates, and trade (imports and exports) will also be provided in the report.