AEROSPACE PRODUCTS
Civilian aeroplanes

Civilian airplanes are used for private or commercial purposes, as opposed to military ones. They operate in the civil sector of aviation, the norms and standards for which are set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Most of the countries of the world are members of the ICAO.

Civilian airplanes are broadly divided into two major categories: Airliners and civilian cargo planes:

These are large or medium-sized airplanes owned/leased and run by airlines and by freight and logistics companies. Airliners carry 20 or more passengers and are built to serve the long and medium range (regional) sectors of air travel. In addition, airlines as well as logistics companies run purely cargo services, a fast growing sector of the aviation industry. Cargo operators generally use airliners that have been re-configured as cargo carriers. Cargo services may also be run according to fixed schedules.

The large (100-seat or greater) airliner market is dominated by Europe's Airbus and Boeing of the United States. The Russians also make large airliners. Some of these large aircraft have been converted for use as AWACS, or airborne warning and control systems, used for military surveillance and battle control.

Smaller aircraft: These include small jets and the recently introduced 'very light jets' (VLJs). These aircraft are also referred to as private jets, or business jets. The seating capacity of these aircraft varies from 2-3 passengers to as many as 19. While aircraft carrying 20 or more passengers are often considered as airliners, those that carry less than this number are called commuter aircraft or air taxis.

The market for small civilian aircraft is shared by a relatively large number of North American, European and Latin American manufacturers.