Issues such as safety, lightweight construction, and lower emissions have been at the forefront of developments in aerospace for many years. Thanks to the companies Komax France, adaptronic, and Cirris, the Komax Group possesses a great deal of aerospace expertise. There is very little automation of wire processing in the aerospace industry, and the entry barriers for suppliers are very high. The Komax Group negotiated these hurdles several years ago and is now looking to achieve continuous growth in this area. This market segment also includes the Railway area. The level of automation is still low here, too, and the corresponding need for automated wire processing is rising steadily.

Growth of global air traffic in all regions

In addition to civil aircraft for passenger and freight transport, the Aerospace area includes helicopters, advanced air mobility (AAM), defense, and even rockets and satellites for space travel. The most important sub-area is civil aviation, which saw a slight slowdown in growth in 2025 after a very good previous year. This was mainly due to fewer domestic flights, particularly in the USA and India. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), total air traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased by 5.3% compared to 2024 and was therefore below the strong growth of over 10% in the previous year. Global air traffic grew in all regions in 2025. The main drivers were Africa (+9.4% compared to the previous year), Asia/Pacific (+7.8%), the Middle East, and Latin America. The European region showed growth of 5.3%.

This phenomenon is accompanied by an ongoing rise in global aircraft deliveries. Airbus, the global market leader in commercial aviation, delivered 735 aircraft in 2023, 766 aircraft in 2024, and 793 aircraft in 2025, which was another industry record following on from 2024. Boeing delivered 600 aircraft in the reporting year – a significant increase on the previous year. A larger number of aircraft also means more wires to be produced. The automation of wire processing is still not particularly advanced in this market segment, and the requirements in terms of quality and traceability are particularly high. The aerospace industry has also been affected by a shortage of skilled workers, rising wages, and growing ESG requirements, which opens up opportunities for further automation. The market is characterized by small quantities and great variability. The Komax Group therefore addresses the aerospace market primarily with high-mix, low-volume applications and testing solutions.

The combination of digital data management and the opportunity to gradually increase automation in wire harness production enables the Komax Group to meet the high demands of its customers with regard to the electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) – the complex cabling system in aircraft. This includes installation, assembly, and quality assurance of wire harnesses in aviation components and aircraft sections, from final assembly through to maintenance and repair (MRO). This is where the testing technology solutions from adaptronic and Cirris come into play. The Komax Group thus offers flexible solutions along the value chain for all key EWIS production steps.

Railway market increasingly attractive

Rail vehicles offer an additional area of application for the Komax Group’s automation solutions. The amount of electrical equipment required is continuously increasing, especially in wagon construction. In view of growing demand for comfort, safety, and connectivity, passenger carriages now have more wires and control cabinets for lighting, air conditioning, heating, internet, and technical monitoring via sensors than locomotives.

According to the SCI Global Rail Index, the market for rail vehicles was affected in particular by the challenging economic situation in Europe and increasing cost pressure in the reporting year. However, this market still has comparatively little automation. The applications required are much easier to automate than in the aerospace sector. There is therefore significant growth potential for the Komax Group. With products from adaptronic, Cirris, Komax, and Schleuniger, and services from WUSTEC, the company offers numerous options for processing and testing wires. WIRE Mind from WUSTEC can save up to 80% of the production time required – a very efficient data preparation solution for wire processing in control cabinets, which is in high demand in the railway sector. The rail infrastructure comprising signal systems, points, and level crossings also requires control cabinets with wires that can be processed automatically. In 2025, the Komax Group won important orders in the railway market from major customers such as Alstom, Siemens, and Stadler Rail, and plans to expand gradually in this area.

Based on the analyses from various external experts, the Komax Group anticipates average annual market growth of around 4% in the coming years.

Internal competence network for Aerospace & Railway

Since 2024, the Komax Group has established an internal competence network for Aerospace & Railway. As a result, the regional sales staff are part of an international network and can serve transnational customers even better. In the past year, the Komax Group was not only able to record sales successes with the major manufacturers Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer, it also won an important order from a Swiss manufacturer for an Optima wire processing machine and several adaptronic testing systems. The laser marking systems from Komax France are a key element in this success, as it is mandatory for all wires in the aircraft industry to have laser markings. The Komax Group has the right solutions for this.