Aviation Week's MRO Podcast Navigating The M&A Boom — Opportunities And Challenges in MRO
Feb 9, 2026
Michael Bruno, Aviation Week business editor covering aftermarket and MRO trends. Meghan Welch, aerospace and defense M&A specialist at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company. They discuss drivers of M&A in MRO, which subsectors buyers target, opportunities in the engine aftermarket, strategies for entering engine supply chains, and private equity’s disciplined buy-and-build role.
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Aftermarket Is The Post‑2020 Growth Engine
- The aftermarket has been the bright spot of commercial aero since 2020 due to structural demand drivers.
- Fragmentation and deferred maintenance created attractive M&A opportunities for strategics and PE.
Every MRO Subsector Is On The Table
- Buyers are targeting the full spectrum of MRO from part‑out to avionics and pneumatics.
- Supply constraints and PMA adoption are widening acquisition targets across subsectors.
Deals Range From Billion‑Dollar To Niche Buys
- Michael noted Transdine's ~$2.2B deal and Lohr's $250M acquisition of a $50M revenue company as examples.
- These deals show investors target everything from massive to niche MRO assets.