The aerospace industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), the rise of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft such as urban air taxis, and the growing need for resilient, digitally connected supply chains.
But with so many moving parts, the path forward isn’t always clear. How should aerospace leaders respond to these shifts?
To answer these questions, TCS conducted a global survey of senior executives across the aerospace value chain.
Our key findings report uncovers the different ways industry stakeholders are adapting to rapid changes in these critical areas:
On an average, respondents anticipate 40% of their manufacturing operations to be lights-out, requiring minimal human intervention, within the next 5-7 years.
Two-thirds of AAM executives think the public is ready to accept urban air taxis and eVTOL craft – but the regulatory landscape needs to be worked out.
80% of MRO service providers see impacts to revenue, customer churn, delivery performance, and operational cost increases if they can’t scale their digital strategy by 2028.
Nearly two-thirds of aerospace executives are open to allowing agentic AI to operate their supply chains.
Learn how aerospace firms are using AI, digital twins, and smart factory technologies to improve production efficiency and reduce time-to-market.
AAM companies are repositioning for the urban air mobility era, tackling regulatory hurdles, infrastructure demands, and new business models.
Predictive analytics and IoT are reshaping maintenance strategies, reducing downtime, and creating new aftermarket revenue streams.
Find out how companies are managing disruption through AI-powered forecasting, risk mitigation, and digital thread integration.
Anupam Singhal
President - Manufacturing, TCS
The aerospace industry has always been one where ambition is matched by precision and safety. Today, ambition is redefined as AI moves from supporting operations to shaping enterprise strategy—advancing passenger experience, safety, and sustainability. At TCS, we see this as a leadership opportunity to help aerospace enterprises build resilient, adaptive ecosystems and shape skies that are bold, transformative, and future-defining.
Steve Lucas
CEO, Boomi
The Future-Ready Skies Study shows that the aerospace industry is at an inflection point where the promise of AI depends on getting the fundamentals right. Change only happens, however, at the speed of trust and that trust begins with data. Agentic AI can only succeed when it’s built on a strong foundation of connected, reliable data. By integrating and connecting everything across their complex ecosystems, companies can accelerate decisions, scale innovation, and turn complexity into a true competitive advantage.
Augusto “Aghi” Marietti
CEO, Kong Inc.
The Future-Ready Skies Study reaffirms a truth we’ve always championed at Kong: true resilience in aerospace comes not from isolated innovation, but from API-driven connectivity embedded into the operational core. When digital twins and AI are powered by a real-time, secure API nervous system, they don’t just deliver visibility—they enable adaptability, performance, and trust across the aerospace ecosystem.
Taylor Brown
COO and Co-founder, Fivetran
The Future-Ready Skies Study confirms what we see across industries at Fivetran: enterprises that automate and trust their data pipelines are the ones able to innovate at scale. In aerospace, resilience and precision depend on reliable, transparent data — it’s the foundation that enables AI, digital twins, and the next generation of intelligent operations.
M.S. Krishnan
Faculty Director, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
As the aerospace industry rapidly evolves to meet the expanding demand over the next decade, businesses face the challenge of scaling through efficient and environmentally sustainable solutions. This report offers a comprehensive perspective on the current status of digital technology adoption in the industry and presents valuable insights for effectively integrating emerging technologies, such as digital twins, digital threads, and AI, into business processes spanning the end-to-end supply chain, encompassing procurement, manufacturing, MRO, and customer interactions.
Sukaran Singh
MD & CEO, Tata Advanced Systems
Global aerospace, especially for defense, is moving toward a future driven by autonomy, AI, digital twin, and connected supply chains. For India, this is both a challenge and an opportunity — to contribute world-class capabilities and establish itself as a trusted partner in building the future of aerospace systems for defense.
The aerospace industry is at the cusp of transformation, where bold ambition meets breakthrough innovation. Future-ready skies will be shaped by advanced air mobility (AAM), electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, intelligent supply chains that adapt in real time, and fully connected digital engineering ecosystems. These shifts are redefining how aircrafts are designed, built, and sustained across their lifecycle.
With the rise of AI, digital twins, and predictive intelligence, enterprises can scale AAM, transform MRO into proactive operations, and build resilient supply networks that transcend disruption. Together, these advancements unlock a new era of aerospace—smarter, greener, and more connected—where innovation and intelligence converge build future-ready skies.