Parts Report: What Were the Hardest-to-Find Aircraft Parts in September 2026?
Key Highlights
- Standard hardware and seals made up 33% of the global hardest-to-find list and 36% of North America’s.
- Locatory.com reports 21 hardest-to-find part numbers appeared in both regional datasets, with no major category differing by more than three percentage points.
- The reports advise buyers to plan for high-value rotables while improving visibility of lower-value items such as fasteners, seals, bearings and chemicals.
With the heavy maintenance season underway, maintenance providers can benefit from knowing which components are most difficult to source.
In line with the most-searched parts from September 2026, the hardest-to-find parts were very similar for both global and North American datasets.
Locatory.com reports share, “Most of the Top 50 Most Searched parts appeared in both datasets, while no major Hardest to Find category differed between North America and Global by more than three percentage points.”
They continue, “On the Hardest-to-Find list, 21 part numbers carried over in both regions, while none of the GE90/B777 part numbers from August's lists appear anywhere in September's.”
The reports also note how the hardest-to-find list is no longer dominated by a single GE90 engine cluster, and sourcing pressure is spread across all categories.
Why standard hardware and seals emerge as the most constrained category for September 2026
According to reports from Locatory.com, “Standard hardware and seals led both the Most Searched (39% globally, 45% in North America) and Hardest to Find (33% globally, 36% in North America) lists.”
For both datasets, the hardest-to-find standard hardware and seals from September 2026 include:
- Bushing (AJ18C105DU)
- Seal (J8066)
- Two bearings (VTB11220P20, 1B7297)
- Ring back up (8-218V709-90)
- Screws (60-4156-1, 2291-13)
- Bolts (51U692, 5306-01-231-7363)
- Flat washers (NAS1149C0690R)
- Two gaskets (5330011165466, 613U59-0003-2)
- Packing (5330-01-706-1023)
- Cessna internal wrenching nut (81791-1018)
- Stud (5307014788710)
How hard-to-find were engine components in September 2026?
Making up 22% of the global hardest-to-find list and 20% of North America’s, engine components highlight a shift in demand.
The most constrained engine components of September 2026 emerge as:
- Turbine rotor set (750574-3)
- Metering pin (1C2067-1)
- Piston (F859989)
- Two bearings (3120010487927, 3130010548610)
- Bearing housing liner (4286-309A)
- Main fuel control unit body assembly (343813)
- Starter motor (04-20148)
- Valve (4820-01-409-0096)
Experts from Locatory.com explain, “None of these overlap with the Boeing 777 cluster that had appeared on every global Hardest-to-Find Top 50 from May through August.”
They highlight recurring items from previous month’s that don’t appear in September’s list, including:
- FADEC variants (105E70898G1, 105E70898G2, 105E70898G3)
- HMU control assembly (1693M75P08)
- Temperature and pressure sensor for GE90 engine (0154GF9)
Locatory.com experts note, “That does not confirm the constraint has eased, since a part can fall just outside of the Top 50 while remaining genuinely hard to source, but it is a break in a pattern that has held for four consecutive months.”
What constraints do cabin and safety components show for September 2026?
With the same parts on both the global and North American lists, cabin and safety components make up 16% of both datasets for the month.
This includes parts like:
- Buckle assembly referenced under several stock numbers (D48896, F1430918, 2010-6-11-2267, 5340006233289,)
- Second buckle (FDC1575-2)
- Reflector (3234453-1)
- Two lighting fixtures (2G44012, 6210002342656)
- Fire fighting nonmetallic hose assembly (4210-01-075-7324)
- Light lens (6230-01-017-1226)
How hard were avionics and electrical components to find in September 2026?
According to Locatory.com reports, “Electrical and avionics items held 13% of the Global list and 14% of North America's. The same six parts appeared on both.”
These parts include:
- Relay (N130-6520)
- Voltage converter (41010-000)
- Capacitor (935A333-3)
- Switch (5930011793417)
- Time totalizing meters (6645009005830, 95C8WE)
How airframe, landing gear, chemicals and tools show constraints from September 2026
For airframe and landing gear components, constraints account for around 7% of the global list and 5% of the North American list. Both lists mention the following parts:
- Aluminum rib (65B11513-77)
- Underwing longeron filler (675W0003-7)
A hinge assembly (S5287931100701) shows up as well, but only on the Global list.
Chemicals also appear in these lists of constraints for September 2026, including:
- Two separate corrosion preventive compound listings (8030001450111 and MIL-C-21067)
- Aircraft and instrument grease (9150-00-145-0161)
How maintenance providers can learn from constrained parts data
Locatory.com reports state, “September presents procurement teams with a different problem from the summer. A shortage concentrated around one engine family is a defined risk.”
The reports list examples of what buyers can do when demand is highly concentrated, such as:
- Track the program
- Line up alternative sources
- Secure material ahead of known shop visits
“Scarcity spread across hardware, engines, avionics, cabin equipment, airframe material and chemicals is much harder to anticipate and manage,” say the reports.
Experts from Locatory.com explain, “High value rotables and known engine bottlenecks will still justify forward planning. But September's data shows that resilience also depends on visibility of lower value items.”
They continue, “A missing fastener, seal, bearing or chemical can hold up the return to service as effectively as a scarce major component.”
“The question for the fourth quarter is whether this broader pattern becomes the new sourcing baseline or pressure concentrates again around specific platforms and component families,” they conclude.
About the Author
Emily Gorski
