As the busiest month of the year for airline operations, high aircraft utilization in August 2026 along with aircraft delivery delays has informed the concentration of parts searches in North America and around the world. 

According to reports from Locatory.com, “With new aircraft entering fleets more slowly than planned, operators remained dependent on existing assets at a point when many were already operating at high utilization.” 

“Against this backdrop, Locatory.com aviation marketplace activity accelerated rather than eased,” add the reports. 

They explain, “August became the most active search month of 2026 so far, indicating that sourcing activity was already building ahead of the heavier maintenance period, even as fleets remained heavily utilized through the summer peak.” 

Why do standard hardware and seals make up the largest search category? 

Locatory.com reports identify standard hardware and seals as the parts category with the highest search volume in August 2026, accounting for 45% of the global Top 50 searches and 48% of North America’s. 

The reports note, “Both figures were the category’s highest shares of 2026, well above the previous peaks of 26% globally in June and 32% in North America in March.” 

Highlighting the vulnerability of aerospace fastener supply despite parts having low value, the reports share that high-specification fasteners—like NAS, MS and OEM-specific families—depend on several factors before alternative sources can be introduced. 

These include:  

• Qualified manufacturers 
• Controlled Materials 
• Heat treatment 
• Plating 
• Coating 

The reports explain, “As a result, shortages of individual fasteners can disrupt aircraft production or maintenance when an approved substitute is not available. Industry supply-chain outlooks expect these qualification and capacity constraints to remain relevant through at least 2027.” 

While the demand level varied slightly between global and North American searches, both data sets show the most frequently searched parts in this category as frequently consumed maintenance material like:  

• Rivets (2600545, CR3522-5-03, CR3524PR6-03, CR3243-4-02, 22333132080) 
• Collars (BACC30M6, HL97-6) 
• Bolts (BACB30PN14-32M, BLT5706, 145-525-9202), 
• Seals, gaskets and packings (FA261-51100-000, NSA360040-8614, FA151026-007, S760JA387425142, 2330-0055, 771884) 

How highly searched were airframe and landing gear components in August 2026? 

Reports from Locatory.com show the airframe and landing gear category reaching a new high in global searches at a share of 24% for August 2026, while making up 13% of searches in North America. 

The reports say, “The concentration sits within a tighter wider market for new-generation narrowbody landing-gear assets.” 

They add, “Aviation Week reported that secondary-market availability for A320neo and 737 MAX landing gear had become extremely limited, with only an estimated 7–9 A320neo landing-gear shipsets available globally. Operators are consequently planning major landing-gear requirements further in advance as the first larger wave of new-generation narrowbody overhauls approaches.” 

Globally, searches in this category center on an A320-family wheel, brake and structural cluster, including:  

• Bearing (201587209) 
• NLG wheel assembly (3-1531-3) 
• MLG wheel assembly (C20500100) 
• Carbon brake assembly (C20534100) 
• Seals (FA261-51100-000, NSA360040-8614) 
• Pad (6A5981)  
• Formed-aluminum structural stock (ABS5310-01) 

The North American searches show different components as the most highly searched for the month, such as:  

• Latch assembly (91049-18, Boeing 767) 
• Repair filler (675W0003-1, Boeing 777) 
• Bracket assembly (277-1822-507)  
• Panel assembly (654A0004-1072) 

Which engine components were most highly searched in August 2026? 

While engine components make up only 16% of global searches in August 2026 from Locatory.com—the lowest search concentration of the year—they account for 25% of North American searches, which is largely consistent with July numbers. 

Locatory.com experts note, “Unlike Airframe and Landing Gear, the category was not driven by one aircraft or engine family. The parts appearing across both Global and North America data covered a broader mix of engine hardware and accessories. 

For both global and North American searches, the most-searched engine components in August 2026 emerge as:  

• CFM56-5B bolt (83769H16-14) 
• Ignition plug (305766-1) 
• Piston ring (3179816-1) 
• Filter (180248-035) 
• Pump assembly (63508412-1) 
• CF6-80 drain can (1775M13G03)  
• Composite sleeve assembly (770259-11) 

North America also shows a few engine-specific components not present in the global data set, such as:  

• PW4000 EGT harness (23830-000) 
• Bolt-tension component (2093M29P02) 
• Engine bolt (2613109)  
• Rotor (750574-3) 

How concentrated were searches for electrical, power, APU and avionics in August 2026? 

Combining electrical, power, APU and avionics-related parts into a single category, these components account for 10% of searches in both data sets. 

Searches across the globe as well as in North America center around electrical and control components like:  

• Solenoid electrical assembly (63000933-1) 
• Resolver assembly (4039572-5) 
• Armature assembly (2047410-2) 
• Transducer (1680-654)  
• Capacitor (935A333-3) 

Showing an even smaller concentration, cabin and safety components make up 4% of each data set, with no clear outliers as the most frequently searched in the category. 

What implications do August 2026 parts searches have for aircraft maintenance providers? 

According to experts from Locatory.com, MROs and repair shops can expect continuously increasing demand as the industry shifts to the fall season. 

They say, “Airlines were still operating through the peak summer schedule, but the industry is now moving into the Northern Hemisphere autumn and winter maintenance season, when more aircraft are taken out of service for planned checks and overhaul work.” 

The reports continue, “There are already signs that the coming season will be active. DAE Engineering described its 2026-27 winter maintenance pipeline as robust, while European airlines have been securing additional internal and third-party MRO capacity to manage periods of peak maintenance demand.” 

“At the same time, less predictable turnaround times and rising material costs are pushing operators to plan maintenance inputs and material requirements further in advance,” note Locatory.com experts, “Aircraft entering planned maintenance does not simply increase demand for major assemblies.” 

Locatory.com experts outline how heavy checks create new requirements across the material supply chain, such as:  

• Standard hardware and seals 
• Structural parts 
• Wheels and landing gear 
• Electrical LRUs 
• Engine accessories  
• Repairable components 

“Parts removed during inspection can also create requirements that were not known when the aircraft entered the hangar, putting additional pressure on short-notice sourcing and exchange inventories,” they conclude.