30+ Years in Aerospace
What is Aerospace? By its basic definition, it is the branch of technology and industry concerned with aviation, space flight, and satellite communications. It is a service industry that helps move and improve people’s lives. Aerospace is completely different than it was 30 years ago. For that matter, Aerospace is such a dynamic market that it is not the same as it was last month, let alone last year. How big is the market? Below are some interesting facts about commercial aircraft from Boeing and Airbus and their effect on the world.
- Boeing 2023 revenue: Over $75 billion
- Airbus 2023 revenue: Over $67 billion
- Collectively, both companies directly employ over 275,000 people in over 100 countries
- A Boeing 737 Max has over 500,000 separate part numbers
- Airbus has 55% of the world market share for commercial aircraft. Boeing has 45%
- Boeing has over 12,000 direct suppliers, whereas Airbus has 26,000
Aerospace is such a broad term that it includes commercial aerospace, general aviation, helicopters (rotors), regional jets, military aircraft, and more. On top of that, it also includes satellites, radar, and rockets for companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Space Force, and, of course, the gold standard, NASA.
This rapidly growing market has very demanding and rigorous quality and manufacturing requirements. The benchmark for quality in this market is Nadcap (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) certification. It is not unusual for a Tier 1 or OEM, like Boeing, to insist on their own independent audits above and beyond the Nadcap requirements.
This is where Wolkerstorfer Company excels. We have been in the metal finishing and testing business for over 129 years, specializing in aerospace for the last 30 years. We are Nadcap certified for Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection, Plating, and Painting. We are an approved supplier of some of the biggest names in the business, including Rolls Royce, Boeing, Honeywell, and Gulfstream.
