PUBLISHER: Mordor Intelligence | PRODUCT CODE: 1836465
PUBLISHER: Mordor Intelligence | PRODUCT CODE: 1836465
The aircraft synthetic vision systems market reached USD 569.40 million in 2025 and is forecast to reach USD 727.07 million by 2030, expanding at a 5.01% CAGR.
Adoption is accelerating as US and European regulators mandate cockpit upgrades that deliver higher situational awareness during low-visibility operations. Airline and business-jet operators view synthetic vision as the most cost-effective path to compliance because the software can be embedded in existing flight-deck architectures, minimising downtime. Concurrently, air-framer partnerships focused on AI-driven terrain-rendering engines are lowering pilot workload while opening ancillary revenue streams for data-subscription services. Growth prospects are also buoyed by advanced air-mobility programs and sixth-generation fighter projects that treat synthetic vision as a core safety layer. These factors underpin a solid outlook for the Aircraft Synthetic Vision Systems market across OEM line-fit and retrofit channels.
Deliveries of new business jets now routinely include combined vision suites that merge synthetic and enhanced vision on a single display. Bombardier's Global 8000 and Cessna's Citation Ascend integrate these features as baseline equipment, eliminating costly aftermarket installations. Operators benefit from lower pilot workload, while manufacturers capture recurring upgrade revenue on legacy fleets scheduled for retrofits in 2025-2026.
Sixth-generation fighter programs like the NGAD F-47 rely on helmet-mounted displays that fuse tactical data with real-time terrain imagery. Collins Aerospace's Gen III helmet for the F-35 already demonstrates how synthetic vision replaces night-vision gear, paving the way for wider military adoption. Subsequently, civil platforms inherit these hardened technologies, shortening certification cycles.
Machine-learning terrain databases do not fit neatly into deterministic DO-178C frameworks, prolonging approvals and raising development costs. In some cases, OEMs and avionics vendors limit the complexity of SVS features to reduce certification risk. Thus, features like dynamic terrain rendering, urban 3D modeling, or integration with EO/IR feeds are delayed. For instance, Mercury Systems' image-integrity tools provide partial relief but still require Design Assurance Level C validation, a hurdle for smaller suppliers. Certification costs are passed on to operators in most cases, making SVS upgrades more expensive. This limits their commercial viability in the markets for small turboprop aircraft and helicopters.
Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:
For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.
Primary flight displays held 45.51% of the aircraft synthetic vision systems market share in 2024 because pilots rely on these central screens for all critical flight cues. Heads-up and helmet-mounted displays exhibit the fastest growth at 11.50% CAGR, largely due to defence orders and the trickle-down of military technology into civil variants. Garmin's SVT upgrade path shows operators adding 3-D terrain onto existing PFDs without re-wiring the cockpit. The aircraft synthetic vision systems market size for helmet-mounted solutions is projected to increase by 2030 as advanced air-mobility platforms favour wearable displays for weight savings.
The segment's momentum extends to integrated combined-vision products that overlay infrared imagery onto synthetic terrain, delivering all-weather capability without added monitors. Universal Avionics' ClearVision set a precedent for wearable HUD adoption in commercial jets, while Collins Aerospace adapts fighter-grade helmets for civil rotorcraft. These developments reinforce the aircraft synthetic vision systems market as a technology continuum rather than a discrete product, enabling cross-platform learning and volume efficiencies.
Display hardware captured 40.12% revenue in 2024 because every installation still needs certified screens. Yet software and terrain-obstacle databases are growing at 9.51% CAGR, reflecting a pivot toward AI-rich content that refreshes during flight. This shift explains why the aircraft synthetic vision systems market size linked to software is forecast to overtake hardware-only packages in the late 2020s.
Suppliers increasingly licence rendering engines separate from displays, allowing operators to swap in lower-cost commercial-off-the-shelf monitors. Honeywell's MEMS-based KSG7200 reference system highlights a broader trend toward sensor-fusion modules that package processing power within existing LRUs. Database subscriptions create recurring cash flows and cement customer relationships, underscoring software's strategic value in the aircraft synthetic vision systems industry.
The Aircraft Synthetic Vision Systems Market Report is Segmented by Type (Primary Flight Display, and More), End User (Military, and More), Installation Type (OEM Line-Fit, and More), Component (Display System and More), Platform (Fixed-Wing Aircraft, and More) and Geography (North America, Europe, and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).
North America generated 35.25% of global sales in 2024, supported by the FAA's clear rules on Enhanced Flight Vision and robust business-jet utilisation. Operators embrace synthetic vision to secure approach credits that keep schedules intact during winter storm activity. Defence contracts such as the F-47 program deepen the regional expertise pool, allowing suppliers to amortise R&D across civil and military lines.
Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing arena at 8.75% CAGR because governments in China, India, and Indonesia are upgrading secondary airports while encouraging ACMI carriers to expand fleets. The aircraft synthetic vision systems market finds fertile ground in these nations, where low-visibility procedures were once the preserve of flagship hubs. Satellite-based augmentation and new GNSS constellations further boost uptake as ground-based ILS rollouts slow.
Europe grows steadily on the back of SESAR directives and strong defence programs. EASA's All Weather Operations framework gives carriers economic incentives to add synthetic vision without installing CAT II/III ground systems. Sustainability goals add another driver: optimised flight paths enabled by accurate terrain models cut fuel burn and CO2. These factors sustain a balanced expansion of the continent's aircraft synthetic vision systems market.