Flight Simulator Market Research, Consumer Behavior, Demand and Forecast by 2034

Flight Simulator Market Size, Regional Trends and Growth Insights

The flight simulator market is expected to increase from USD 5.39 billion in 2025 to USD 8.07 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 4.58% throughout the forecast period from 2025 to 2034.

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Introduction

The flight simulator market is a crucial branch of the aerospace and defense industry. This industry deals in development of machines used to train pilots for flying aircrafts. There are various types of machines developed in this industry consisting of full flight simulator and flight training devices. These machines are based on several platforms comprising of fixed wing simulator, rotary wing simulator, UAV simulator and others. It finds numerous applications in commercial sector and military purposes. The rising military expenditure in different parts of the world has driven the market growth. This market is expected to rise significantly with the growth of the airline sector across the world.

• According to the SIPRI, the military expenditure of North America in 2022 was US$ 886.3 billion that increased to US$ 907.3 billion in 2023.

Highlights of the Flight Simulator Market

• North America held the largest share of the flight simulator market due to the presence of flight simulator brands in this region.
• Europe is expected to grow with a significant CAGR due to the growing investment in military sector in this region.
• The full flight simulator segment held the largest share of the market due to its ability to train pilots for combat activities.
• The commercial segment led the industry due to the rising demand for private jets in different parts of the world.

Key Metrics and Overview

Flight Simulator Software: Trends in the Industry

• Government of several countries are investing heavily for strengthening the military sector that contributes to the growth of the flight simulators industry. According to the SIPRI, the government expenditure in the European region was around    US$ 569.1 billion during 2023.
• Several aviation companies are using advanced flight simulators for training pilots to lower training costs. For instance, in March 2024, Simaero announced to open a training center in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. This center is inaugurated for training commercial pilots across China.
• Numerous market players are collaborating with each other for developing advanced machines for training pilots. For instance, in March 2025, Microsoft collaborated with Embraer. This collaboration is done for using Microsoft’s simulator devices to train pilots of Embraer.
• The flight simulator brands are integrating AR and VR technology to enhance the training experience of pilots. For instance, in February 2024, Loft Dynamics launched a virtual reality (VR)-based flight simulation device. This device uses VR technology for training pilots across North America.

Industry Leader Announcement

In November 2024, Khushbeg Jattana, the General Manager for India made an announcement stating that, “India’s aviation sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, fueled by increased regional connectivity and record orders for single-aisle aircraft, like the Airbus A320 family.”

Geographical Insights

North America held the largest share of the flight simulator market. The rising investment in the aviation sector along with technological advancements in aerospace industry has boosted the market growth. Also, the increasing government expenditure to strengthen the military sector is crucial for the industrial expansion. Moreover, the presence of several aerospace companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Corporation, L3Harris Technologies and some others is driving the growth of the flight simulator market in this region.

Competitive Landscape

The flight simulator market is a rapidly developing industry with the presence of several dominating players. Some of the prominent companies in this industry consists of L3Harris Technologies Inc. (U.S.), The Boeing Company (U.S.), CAE Inc. (Canada), FlightSafety International Inc. (U.S.), Thales Group (France), TRU Simulation + Training Inc. (U.S.) and some others. These companies are constantly engaged in developing simulation machines for training pilots and adopting numerous strategies to maintain their dominance in this industry.

• According to the annual report of CAE, the revenue of the company in 2023 was US$ 4010.6 million that increased to US$ 4282.80 million in 2024.

Market Segmentations

By Type

• Full Flight Simulator
• Flight Training Devices

By Platform

• Fixed Wing Simulator
• Rotary Wing Simulator
• UAV Simulator

By Application

• Commercial
• Military

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa