Industry Report: Aviation Investment Banking Q1 2025 [Cassel Salpeter & Co.]

Key Report Highlights

• Global Aviation Growth Hits Record Highs
  Aviation industry revenues are projected to surpass $1 trillion globally in 2025, underscoring a strong post-COVID recovery. The industry supports over 86 million jobs worldwide, offering robust economic and connectivity benefits.

• Tariff Disruption Threatens U.S. Aviation Ecosystem
  Newly introduced global tariffs—especially from the U.S.—are creating significant uncertainty, threatening supply chains and increasing costs across manufacturing, maintenance, and logistics.

• Middle Market M&A Activity Remains Active
  Despite economic headwinds, Q1 2025 saw steady deal flow in the aviation middle market, including notable acquisitions in aerospace components and aviation services by private equity and strategic buyers.

• Private Capital Still Flowing into Aviation & Space Tech
  Several early- and growth-stage companies raised meaningful funding, including a $250M Series D round for Epirus and $240M for Shield AI, indicating ongoing investor appetite for innovation in aviation and defense.

• Market Volatility Challenges Forecasting and Valuations
  With rising inflation, falling consumer confidence, and erratic tariff policy, public aviation companies face difficulty in planning and capital raising—issues that may ripple down to middle market suppliers and service providers.

Cassel Salpeter & Co. LLC is an independent investment banking firm focused on serving middle-market and emerging growth companies in the U.S. and internationally. Founded by James Cassel and Scott Salpeter, the firm provides advisory services including mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, valuations, fairness and solvency opinions, and restructurings.

With more than 100 years of combined experience, the firm’s senior partners are actively involved in every engagement, bringing deep expertise and a strong track record across hundreds of transactions. Headquartered in Miami, Cassel Salpeter is a member of FINRA and SIPC.

Interested in sharing your industry reports? Contact: [email protected]