TBX announced the release of its 2026 TBX Annual Survey, a data-driven snapshot of the general aviation (GA) maintenance landscape. Drawing on more than 600 responses from maintenance shops and operators across sizes, regions, and aircraft types, the report captures a real-time view of the challenges, opportunities, and operational realities shaping GA maintenance today.
Unlike industry studies that often focus on airlines or business aviation, the TBX Annual Survey centers on the maintenance professionals who keep general aviation flying — A&Ps, IAs, DOMs, shop owners, operators, and flight schools.
“General aviation is often overlooked, even though it’s the foundation of the entire aviation ecosystem,” said Jon McLaughlin, chief executive officer of TBX. “After spending the past year visiting hundreds of maintenance shops, we wanted to flip the script and listen directly to the people doing the work. This survey reflects the real maintenance perspective — what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s holding the industry back right now.”
The 2026 survey reveals an industry under pressure from rising costs, supply chain disruption, and persistent staffing shortages—yet one that continues to demonstrate operational maturity and resilience on the shop floor.
Key findings from the 2026 TBX Annual Survey include:
· Rising costs and supply chain pressure dominate the landscape Nearly two-thirds of respondents cited rising costs and supply chain issues as their biggest current challenge, followed closely by staffing and training shortages.
· Staffing remains the single most critical constraint to growth When asked what would most improve their business prospects, finding and retaining skilled technicians far outpaced any other factor—including insurance costs, customers, or facilities.
· Operational fundamentals are working—people, process, and compliance Shops reported the strongest success in maintenance tracking, compliance and records, shop processes, and team support, highlighting operational maturity despite external pressures.
· Confidence is mixed: businesses are optimistic, the industry less so While 63% of respondents feel positive about their own business outlook, fewer than half expressed optimism about the future of general aviation overall.
· Shop rates and output scale meaningfully with size and region Average shop rates increase with shop size and vary significantly by geography, while larger shops service substantially more aircraft annually—underscoring structural differences across the GA maintenance ecosystem.
Designed for shop owners, operators, OEMs, suppliers, and industry stakeholders, the report provides actionable benchmarks and insights across key areas including top challenges, shop profiles, outlook and sentiment, and detailed shop rate analysis by size and region.
“Without the maintenance community, pilots—and the broader GA industry—wouldn’t get very far,” McLaughlin added. “Our goal is to use this data to help spark better conversations and uncover opportunities for collaboration across OEMs, suppliers, vendors, operators, and trade associations to improve the long-term outlook for GA maintenance.”
The full TBX Annual Survey 2026 report, including detailed benchmarks and analysis, is available now.