Revenue in the aerospace and transportation systems product segment was at €1,739 million in 2024, €239 million or 15.9 % above the 2023 level.

The commercial aviation market is set for significant growth following a recovery to pre-pandemic levels in early 2024. The increasing demand requires over 40,000 new passenger aircraft in the next 20 years, with around 15,000 already in the order books of major aircraft OEMs. Further, high aircraft utilisation drives significant global demand for MRO services.

Liebherr’s other core markets - business aviation, helicopters, defence aircraft and railway rolling stock - are poised to grow. Despite increasing demand, the industry struggles to ramp up production due to persistent supply chain disruptions, causing high inventories of unfinished goods and extra costs for workaround solutions. Geopolitical shifts and economic isolation increase uncertainty for strategic guidance, while driving defense sector needs.

Revenue growth was achieved in almost all sales regions, mainly through the positive development in the aerospace segment. A slight downturn was observed in most regions for transportation systems, however revenue increased in the non-EU countries.

Clean sheet aircraft developments are still stagnant, waiting for a breakthrough in engine technology. This limits opportunities for selling complete systems, prompting Liebherr to focus on smaller programs and incremental developments. New markets like Advanced Air Mobility present new opportunities but cannot replace new commercial aircraft developments. Liebherr pioneers aviation decarbonisation with hydrogen fuel cells for power generation, electro-mechanical actuation and additive laser manufacturing for critical applications. A key success in 2024 was being selected as the supplier of next-generation flight control computers for the Airbus A320 family. In the rail sector, Liebherr’s solutions reduce train energy consumption through CO2-sensing air conditioning systems and active hydraulic actuation for braking, steering and damping.

Liebherr joined the Digital Alliance, a collaboration between Airbus, Delta TechOps and GE Aerospace to enhance predictive maintenance accuracy. Furthermore, Liebherr is progressing to become a full model-based enterprise, adopting a model-centric approach in development and production to improve time to market.

New investments focus on securing and developing Liebherr’s industrial capabilities, including extending the Campsas facility in Toulouse (France), enhancing HVOF coating capabilities in Lindenberg (Germany) and improving heat transfer equipment re-coring in Shanghai (China), Singapore and Saline (Michigan, USA). In Toulouse (France), two suppliers were acquired to strengthen core competencies in manufacturing and surface treatment for the air management portfolio.

Market prospects in this segment are promising, with further growth expected for 2025, requiring ongoing investments in capabilities, supply chain resilience and innovative solutions.