Carbon fiber composites are replacing aluminum in commercial aircraft to significantly reduce weight and fuel burn. Modern planes like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 now use composites for up to 50% of their structure, leading to fuel efficiency gains of 20% to 25% over previous generations. The market is expanding toward electric air taxis and urban air mobility, though supply chain concentration in Japan remains a strategic risk. The industry is now exploring bio-based precursors and recycled carbon fiber to further lower the environmental footprint of aircraft manufacturing.
