* Boeing ( BA ), Airbus increasing production of civilian

aircraft

* Conflicts including Ukraine, Iran boosting defense

procurement

* Suppliers may boost capacity to meet demand, executives

say

March 17 (Reuters) - Executives from Honeywell Aerospace

and Howmet Aerospace ( HWM ) said on Tuesday they could

grow capacity to meet strong commercial demand for plane parts

and munitions as the defense sector ramps up due to geopolitical

strife.

U.S. aerospace suppliers are benefiting from strong demand

from jetmakers Boeing ( BA ) and Airbus, which are

increasing production of new aircraft. And governments around

the world are investing in their defense capabilities, as the

wars in Ukraine and Iran deplete missile stockpiles.

Planemakers are speaking with suppliers and customers as

they try to gauge the impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran,

which has pushed oil prices to around $100 a barrel and

disrupted flights and shipping.

Howmet CEO John Plant said the supplier of castings and

fasteners could meet targets from Boeing ( BA ) and Airbus to ramp up

narrowbody output, but immediately meeting additional demand

from growth in production of large long-haul jets would be a

challenge.

"I don't think we could support all of that at the moment,"

Plant told the Bank of America Global Industrials Conference in

London. "My suspicion is that we would actually have to put more

capacity down to achieve that level of production."

Honeywell Aerospace, which is being spun off during the

third quarter of 2026, expects high single- to low double-digit

growth for defense and high single-digit growth for commercial

planemakers this year.

"We don't see the defense demand ... waning at all,"

Honeywell Aerospace CEO Jim Currier told the J.P. Morgan

Industrials Conference in Washington, D.C.

"The heightened geopolitical concerns and conflicts that are

happening around the world, and have been for quite some time,

are fueling a substantial amount of investment in the defense

sector," he said.

Honeywell Aerospace makes engines for business jets, and

navigational products, along with other parts for both the

commercial sector, which makes up about 60% of its business, and

defense, which accounts for the remaining 40%.

Honeywell ( HON ) said last year it would separate its aerospace and

automation businesses into separate entities, alongside its

previously announced spin-off of the advanced materials unit.