Global aviation consulting requires a second wind for real growth take-off

In today’s hyper-competitive business landscape, diversification is no longer a luxury - it’s a strategic imperative.

For multinationals with deep operational capabilities, establishing dedicated consulting divisions - particularly those offering external services - presents an underexploited growth vector. One of the most compelling and underpenetrated domains for such expansion is aviation consulting in developing markets.

These regions are entering the most dynamic growth phase in their aviation journeys, yet they remain underserved by advisory firms with genuine operational expertise.

Global companies - especially those in engineering, infrastructure, technology, and logistics - are uniquely positioned to build consulting divisions that cater not just to internal transformation but also to third-party clients navigating complex ecosystems. Aviation in emerging markets represents an archetype where functional know-how, systems integration capability, and contextual intelligence are in short supply but high demand.

The global aviation industry is projected to grow from $841 billion in 2023 to over $1.4 trillion by 2033, with the bulk of incremental growth driven by emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Vietnam are experiencing double-digit passenger growth annually, often outpacing infrastructure development and institutional capacity. These markets are wrestling with airspace constraints, outdated regulatory frameworks, infrastructure bottlenecks, and talent shortages.

This complexity creates a fertile environment for consulting services that go beyond strategic theory and provide execution-oriented, domain-specific support. Traditional management consultancies often struggle to meet these needs without partners who understand the technical and operational intricacies of airport master planning, fleet induction cycles, maintenance capacity, or slot optimization.

Here lies the opportunity for corporates with embedded aviation knowledge - OEMs, ground handling operators, logistics firms, or airport infrastructure providers - to launch external-facing advisory arms.

Many global firms already maintain internal strategy units or transformation offices. However, these in-house consultancies typically focus on aligning operations and reducing costs internally. The next frontier is to monetize this expertise by opening up to external clients - particularly governments, airport authorities, airlines, and investors in developing markets.

Take the example of global infrastructure giants like VINCI, Bouygues, or GMR, which operate airports in emerging economies. These firms understand concession models, public-private partnerships, and operational turnarounds in high-volatility environments.

Spinning off or expanding consulting arms would allow them to provide external advisory services to third-party clients seeking to develop greenfield airports, privatize aviation assets, or optimize route economics.

Another blueprint is Lufthansa Consulting, a division of the Lufthansa Group, which has served over 300 clients and grown into a self-sustaining, revenue-generating enterprise. Its ability to blend airline operations insight with commercial advisory capabilities has enabled it to support everything from national airline start-ups to restructuring plans for legacy carriers in Africa and South Asia.

Consulting services offer the dual advantage of margin expansion and asset-light scalability. With average EBIT margins of 15%–25%, the consulting industry is substantially more profitable than most aviation-linked sectors such as airport operations (EBITDA margins of 10%–15%) or airline services (often below 10%).

Moreover, the labor-intensive but capital-light nature of consulting allows firms to scale geographically without the burden of fixed infrastructure investments.

Embedded consulting units provide long-term commercial stickiness. They create a pipeline for future project work - from systems implementation to technology integration - positioning the parent firm as both a thought partner and a technical enabler. This strategic lock-in is especially powerful in fragmented markets where procurement decisions are often relationship-driven and heavily influenced by perceived capability.

An often-overlooked advantage of entering aviation consulting in emerging markets is the ability to shape institutional development and workforce capability. Global firms with consulting arms can partner with local universities, aviation academies, and regulatory agencies to offer certification programs, secondments, and leadership development.

These programs not only build goodwill but also create a pool of local consultants who understand cultural and political nuances - critical for project success in environments with low institutional maturity.

We are entering an era where aviation will be one of the most important enablers of economic development in the Global South. However, achieving this promise will require more than capital expenditure and policy reform - it will require subject-matter expertise, systems thinking, and a bias toward action.

Global companies that choose to embed consulting divisions into their business models  stand to unlock powerful new growth engines.