The global aerospace non-destructive testing (NDT) market is projected to reach approximately USD 3.65 billion by 2034, up from USD 1.84 billion in 2024, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.10% over the forecast period. The market is expected to expand from USD 1.97 billion in 2025, driven by rising aircraft production, longer fleet service lives, and increasingly stringent safety and regulatory requirements across the aerospace sector.
North America continues to dominate the global aerospace NDT landscape, accounting for over 40.3% of total market share in 2024, equivalent to nearly USD 0.74 billion in revenue. The region’s leadership is underpinned by a strong aerospace manufacturing base, high aircraft maintenance activity, and rigorous inspection standards enforced across commercial, military, and space applications.
Aerospace NDT plays a critical role in maintaining aircraft safety, reliability, and compliance by enabling the inspection of components such as wings, fuselages, engines, and landing gear without disassembly or material damage. Techniques including ultrasonic testing, radiographic testing, magnetic particle inspection, eddy current testing, infrared thermography, and visual inspection are widely used throughout manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations.
Equipment remains the largest market segment, contributing more than 45% of overall demand, supported by continued investment in advanced inspection hardware. Conventional inspection techniques still account for over 73% of total usage, reflecting their long-standing reliability and acceptance in safety-critical aerospace environments. Ultrasonic testing represents nearly 21% of inspection activity, owing to its effectiveness in detecting internal defects in metallic and composite structures.
Market growth is being further supported by the increasing use of composite materials, higher aircraft production rates, and the gradual integration of automated and digitally enabled inspection systems. Technologies such as drone-assisted inspections, AI-driven defect recognition, 3D imaging, and real-time data analytics are gaining traction, improving inspection speed, accuracy, and consistency while reducing operational downtime.
Demand for aerospace NDT remains strong across both manufacturing and aftermarket services. Manufacturers rely on NDT to validate material integrity and assembly quality before aircraft enter service, while operators and MRO providers use it to monitor structural health throughout an aircraft’s lifecycle. The growing focus on predictive maintenance and life-extension strategies continues to reinforce the importance of advanced NDT solutions.
Looking ahead, the aerospace NDT market is expected to benefit from increased automation, the use of digital twins for inspection planning, and AI-powered interpretation of inspection data. As aircraft systems become more complex and inspection requirements more demanding, NDT is set to remain an indispensable pillar of aerospace safety, reliability, and operational efficiency worldwide.
Reference: https://scoop.market.us/aerospace-ndt-market-news/
