The flight data recorder market has seen considerable growth due to a variety of factors.
• In the past few years, the market size of the flight data recorder has seen significant growth. The market is anticipated to grow from $1.39 billion in 2024 to $1.47 billion in 2025, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%.
Factors contributing to this growth throughout the historic period include regulatory requirements, heightened awareness around flight safety, a shift from analog to digital recording systems, an increase in global air traffic, and industry standardization.
The flight data recorder market is expected to maintain its strong growth trajectory in upcoming years.
• The market for flight data recorders is projected to enjoy robust expansion in the coming years, reaching an evaluation of $1.82 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4%.
Factors contributing to growth during the forecasted period include the development of budding aviation markets, emphasis on data analytics, concerns about cybersecurity, augmented requirements for real-time monitoring, and demand originating from defense and military sectors. The forecasted period will likely see several key trends, such as the incorporation with next-generation aircraft, remote access and evaluation of data, integration with aviation systems, miniaturization, and reduction in weight.
The growth of the flight data recorder market is anticipated to be fueled by the surge in air traffic. Air traffic, which entails the movement of aircraft within a designated area or specified route, is witnessing a rise due to the erection of new airports, enhancement of existing infrastructures, and amelioration of air traffic management systems. These developments have fostered an increase in air travel capacity. Flight data recorders play a pivotal role in air traffic, recording and scrutinizing vital flight parameters to bolster safety measures and look into occurrences. For instance, in January 2024, The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline and aviation association based in Switzerland, reported that Middle Eastern airlines saw a 33.3% traffic increase in 2023 compared to 2022, with a 26.0% capacity growth and a load factor of 80.1%. Simultaneously, North American carriers registered a 28.3% surge in traffic year-on-year, with a 22.4% capacity rise and a load factor peaking at 84.6%. Thus, the burgeoning air traffic is driving the expansion of the flight data recorder market.
The flight data recorder market covered in this report is segmented –
1) By Type: Flight Data Recorder (FDR), Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), Quick Access Recorder (QAR)
2) By Aircraft Type: Narrow Body, Wide Body, Rotorcrafts, Business Jets, Turboprop, Other Aircraft Types
3) By Component: Memory Unit, Electronic Controller Board, Input Devices, Power Supply, Signal Beacon, Other Components
4) By Function: Parametric Flight Data, Record Flight Crew Audio, Data Link Communication, Other Functions
5) By End User: Civil And Commercial Aircraft, Military Aircraft, Helicopter
Subsegments:
1) By Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Digital Flight Data Recorders, Analog Flight Data Recorders
2) By Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): Analog Cockpit Voice Recorders, Digital Cockpit Voice Recorders
3) By Quick Access Recorder (QAR): Digital QARs, Wireless QARs
Leading corporations within the flight data recorder market are crafting innovative and lightweight solutions for eVTOLs, helicopters, and unmanned aircraft, aiming to provide their customer base with advanced features and to establish a distinct lead within the market. The high-capacity voice and flight data recorder, named lightweight flight data recorder (xLDR), is designed using ground-breaking materials and engineering tactics to minimize weight without compromising on structural resilience and operational effectiveness. For instance, in July 2022, L3Harris Technologies - an IT services provider focused on national security solutions from the US - announced the unveiling of the Extra Light Data Recorder (xLDR), tailor-made for the burgeoning light eVTOL and unmanned aircraft systems market. This new recorder is 50% lighter than the prevailing LDR family and offers crash-protection while recording audio, flight data, video, and GPS parameters. It also surpasses global mandates for crash-protected flight recorders on smaller-scale aircraft, with features such as higher data collection rate, automatic recording, and pilot-control capabilities.
Major companies operating in the flight data recorder market report are:
• Raytheon Technologies Corporation
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Safran SA
• Thales Group
• L3Harris Technologies Inc.
• Leonardo S.p.A.
• Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc.
• Garmin Ltd.
• Saab AB
• Honeywell International Inc.
• Bell Textron Inc.
• General Dynamics Corporation
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation
• CAE Inc.
• Meggitt PLC
• FLIR Systems Inc.
• RUAG Group
• Cobham plc
• ASELSAN A.S.
• Universal Avionics Systems Corporation
• ACR Electronics Inc.
• FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.
• SLN Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
• AstroNova Inc.
North America was the largest region in the flight data recorder market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the flight data recorder market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.