Türkiye’s leading aerospace manufacturers, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Baykar have been ranked among the world’s top 50 aviation companies. The ranking, compiled by Counterpoint Market Intelligence on behalf of the global aviation publication “FlightGlobal,” highlights the top 100 companies based on their performance in 2023.
The list was created using information from annual reports and publicly available documents from the companies. Following the significant recovery of the civil aviation sector, which was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, major industry players such as Boeing and Airbus reclaimed their top positions. Boeing led the list with $77.8 billion in sales, followed by Airbus with $70.8 billion.
Other defense industry giants such as RTX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Electric also secured prominent positions, with RTX recording $68.9 billion in sales and Lockheed Martin reporting $67.6 billion. GE Aerospace, Safran, L3Harris, Leonardo and BAE Systems rounded out the top 10.
Rolls-Royce, Bombardier, Thales and SpaceX also made significant appearances on the list, with Rolls-Royce achieving $14.2 billion and SpaceX reaching $4.5 billion in sales.
From Türkiye, TAI ranked 38th, while Baykar, marking its debut on the list, placed 49th.
TAI continues to develop key aerospace platforms such as ANKA III, HÜRJET, and the National Combat Aircraft KAAN, with a sales figure of $2.67 billion in 2023. TAI’s R&D investments and high-tech solutions have enhanced its competitiveness, while exports to allied nations and deliveries to civil aviation companies have further solidified its position.
Baykar, with $1.8 billion in sales, made a strong debut in the ranking. The company is known for its Bayraktar TB2, the most exported armed UAV globally, and has recently added the Bayraktar AKINCI UAV to its success story. As the world’s largest drone exporter, Baykar has been Turkey’s defense and aerospace export leader for three consecutive years (2021, 2022 and 2023).
In recent years, Baykar has earned over 90% of its revenue from exports, with 97.5% of its current contracts directed toward international markets. The company has signed export agreements with 35 countries for its Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar AKINCI UAVs, using these revenues to develop the Bayraktar TB3 and Bayraktar KIZILELMA platforms.
