Total combined exports of different types of civilian airplanes from all countries totaled US$72.3 billion in 2021.
That dollar amount results from an average -32.8% plunge for global airplane exporters from $107.6 billion five years earlier in 2017.
Year over year, international sales of exported airplanes rose 3.8% compared to $69.7 billion during 2020.
For purposes of this global trade analysis, the term airplane refers to powered vehicles excluding helicopters, turbojets, unmanned aircraft and spacecraft.
Export Sales by Airplane Size
According to Harmonized Tariff System code classifications, small airplanes have an unladed weight of 2,000 kilograms (about 4,409 pounds). Medium-sized airplanes weigh over 2,000 kilograms but not exceeding 15,000 kilograms (about 33,069 pounds. The unladen weight of large airplanes exceeds 15,000 kilograms.
Large airplanes represent $64.7 billion or 89.4% of global export sales for all weights in 2021. In second place were exported medium-sized airplanes at $6.3 billion or 8.6%, well ahead of international revenues from exported small airplanes at $1.4 billion or 1.9%.
Continental Insights about Exported Airplanes
Among continents, European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported airplanes during 2021 encompassing all aircraft weight categories. European shipments totaled $56.1 billion or over three-quarters (77.6%) of the overall total. In second place were North American airplane exporters at 11.1% while another 7% of worldwide airplane exports originated from suppliers in Asia.
Smaller percentages came from Latin America (3.4%) including the Caribbean, Africa (0.7%), then Oceania (0.2%) mostly Australia.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefixes are 880240 for unladen large civilian airplanes weighing over 15,000 kilograms (about 33,069 pounds); 880230 for unladen medium-sized civilian airplanes weighing over 2,000 kilograms (about 4,409 pounds) but not exceeding 15,000 kilograms; 880220 for unladen small civilian airplanes weighing 2,000 kilograms or less.
Top Airplane Exports by Country: All Sizes
The 20 countries below exported the highest dollar value worth of airplanes during 2021 regardless of aircraft weight.
- France: US$24.2 billion (33.4% of total airplanes exports)
- Germany: $19.8 billion (27.3%)
- Canada: $6.9 billion (9.6%)
- Ireland: $3.2 billion (4.5%)
- Spain: $2.6 billion (3.6%)
- United Kingdom: $2.4 billion (3.3%)
- Brazil: $2.2 billion (3%)
- Switzerland: $1.5 billion (2%)
- China: $1.3 billion (1.7%)
- United States: $1.1 billion (1.6%)
- Thailand: $983.2 million (1.4%)
- Turkey: $798.5 million (1.1%)
- Israel: $776.7 million (1.07%)
- Finland: $454.1 million (0.63%)
- Poland: $451.1 million (0.62%)
- Malaysia: $362.4 million (0.5%)
- Austria: $283.6 million (0.4%)
- Namibia: $263.6 million (0.36%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 96.1% of all airplanes exported in 2021.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing airplanes exporters since 2017 were: Namibia (up 13,007%), Israel (up 316.2%), Thailand (up 73%) and Finland (up 52.3%).
The leading decliners over the 5-year period were Ireland (down -52% from 2017), Austria (down -46.1%), France (down -42.9%), Brazil (down -39%), United Kingdom (down -37%), Germany (down -33.9%), mainland China (down -31.9%), then the United States of America (down -30.1%).
Major Large Airplanes Exporters by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported in 2021 the highest dollar value worth of large airplanes as classified by their unladen weight.
- France: US$22.6 billion (34.9% of exported large airplanes)
- Germany: $19.4 billion (30.1%)
- Canada: $5.9 billion (9.1%)
- Ireland: $3.2 billion (5%)
- Spain: $2.2 billion (3.5%)
- United Kingdom: $2.1 billion (3.3%)
- Brazil: $1.6 billion (2.5%)
- China: $1.1 billion (1.6%)
- Thailand: $981.1 million (1.5%)
- United States of America: $800.7 million (1.2%)
- Israel: $504 million (0.8%)
- Finland: $453.7 million (0.7%)
- Poland: $416.1 million (0.6%)
- Malaysia: $362.4 million (0.6%)
- Switzerland: $330.4 million (0.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 95.8% of all large airplanes exported in 2021.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of large airplanes since 2017 were: Israel (up 456.9%), mainland China (up 161%), Thailand (up 72.8%) and Canada (up 52.6%).
Those countries that posted declines in their international sales of large airplanes were led by: Ireland (down -51.5%), Brazil (down -45.4%), Switzerland (down -44.6%) and France (down -43.8%).
Major Medium-Sized Airplanes Exporters by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported in 2021 the highest dollar value worth of medium-sized airplanes as classified by their unladen weight.
- France: US$1.6 billion (25.5% of exported medium-sized airplanes)
- Switzerland: $1.1 billion (17.7%)
- Canada: $974.8 million (15.5%)
- Brazil: $595.7 million (9.5%)
- Spain: $366.5 million (5.8%)
- United States: $314.2 million (5%)
- United Kingdom: $218.3 million (3.5%)
- Germany: $216.7 million (3.4%)
- Israel: $173 million (2.8%)
- Chile: $103.8 million (1.7%)
- China: $97 million (1.5%)
- Austria: $63 million (1%)
- South Africa: $62.7 million (1%)
- Slovenia: $50.1 million (0.8%)
- United Arab Emirates: $39 million (0.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 95.4% of all medium-sized airplanes exported in 2021.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of medium-sized airplanes since 2017 were: United Arab Emirates (up 114,641%), Chile (up 6,472%), Israel (up 183.4%) and Germany (up 78.8%).
Those countries that posted declines in their international sales of medium-sized airplanes were led by: United Kingdom (down -89.2%), United States (down -57.4%), mainland China (down -44.5%) and Canada (down -38.7%).
Major Small Airplanes Exporters by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported in 2021 the highest dollar value worth of small airplanes as classified by their unladen weight.
- Turkey: US$570.6 million (41.1% of exported small airplanes)
- China: $115.4 million (8.3%)
- Germany: $115.4 million (8.3%)
- Israel: $99.7 million (7.2%)
- Austria: $80.3 million (5.8%)
- Canada: $64.4 million (4.6%)
- Italy: $55.3 million (4%)
- Czech Republic: $34.4 million (2.5%)
- South Korea: $28.2 million (2%)
- United States: $24.4 million (1.8%)
- Slovenia: $24.1 million (1.7%)
- Belgium: $22.1 million (1.6%)
- Switzerland: $19.7 million (1.4%)
- Netherlands: $14.5 million (1%)
- South Africa: $14.3 million (1%)
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of small airplanes since 2017 were: Turkey (up 155,815%), South Korea (up 1,105%), Belgium (up 305.4%) and Israel (up 184.4%).
Four countries posted double-digit percentage declines in their international sales of small airplanes namely mainland China (down -91%), United States (down -45%), Switzerland (down -12.9%) and Germany (down -12.8%).
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 92.3% of all small airplanes exported in 2021.
Top Airplane Manufacturers
Below are the global leaders in manufacturing airplanes. Shown within parentheses is the city and country serving as home to the headquarters for each business.
- Lockheed Martin (Beseda, United States)
- Airbus SE (Leiden, Netherlands)
- Raytheon Technologies (Waltham, United States)
- Boeing (Arlington, United States)
- Northrop Grumman Corp (Falls Church, United States)
- General Electric Aviation (Evendale, United States)
- Safran SA (Paris, France)
- Leonardo S.P.A. (Rome, Italy)
- Bombardier Inc (Montreal, Canada)
- United Aircraft Corp (Moscow, Russia)
The above companies are listed in descending order based on annual sales.
See also Aerospace Exports by Country, Aircraft Parts Exports by Country and Electric Cars Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 13, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 13, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 13, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 13, 2022
Wikipedia, Airplane. Accessed on November 13, 2022
Yahoo! Finance, Top Aircraft Manufacturers in the World. Accessed on November 13, 2022