02:04 PM EDT, 10/13/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Aircraft production delays could cost the airline industry more than $11 billion this year, as an aging global fleet requires higher fuel and maintenance expenses, the International Air Transport Association said Monday.

The global commercial backlog hit a record high of more than 17,000 aircraft last year, jumping from the annual backlog of about 13,000 between 2010 and 2019, IATA said in a report.

Boeing's ( BA ) order backlog totaled 6,539 aircraft as of Aug. 31, data on its website showed. Airbus had a backlog of 8,658 aircraft at the end of 2024.

"Airlines depend on a reliable supply chain to operate and grow their fleets efficiently. Now we have unprecedented waits for aircraft, engines and parts and unpredictable delivery schedules," IATA Director General Willie Walsh said. "Together these have sent costs spiraling by at least $11 billion for this year and limited the ability of airlines to meet consumer demand."

Airlines with aging fleets are projected to absorb additional costs of $4.2 billion attributable to fuel, $3.1 billion due to maintenance and $2.6 billion in engine leasing expenses. Carriers are stocking more spare parts to mitigate supply chain disruptions, increasing inventory costs by $1.4 billion, according to the report.

"Despite strong order books, the (original equipment manufacturer) market has not yet seen a recovery to 2019 levels, with 2024 deliveries totaling 1,226 aircraft, compared to 1,374 in 2019, highlighting production capacity constraints," the report said. "This bottleneck is forcing airlines to extend the operational life of their current fleet, as well as delaying fleet renewal and, in some cases, expansion plans."

Passenger demand grew by about 10% last year, exceeding the industry's 8.7% capacity expansion, according to the report. Travel demand continues to rise in 2025.

"While there is no quick fix for the problems the commercial aerospace industry faces, we believe there are steps that airlines, OEMs, lessors, and suppliers can take to begin addressing the current supply-demand imbalance and build in greater resilience for the future," the report said.

The proposed actions include ramping up collaboration, enhancing supply chain visibility and opening up after-market best practices.

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