Aircraft parts searches on the Locatory.com marketplace rose 34.5% in September from August, the platform's busiest search month of 2026, as scarcity spread beyond a single engine cluster into routine maintenance material across avionics, cabin equipment, structures and chemicals.

Standard hardware and seals led the Top 50 Most Searched list at 38.8%, followed by engine components at 30.6%. On the Hardest to Find list, hardware and seals accounted for 33.3%, ahead of engine components at 22.2%, cabin and safety equipment at 15.6%, and electrical and avionics at 13.3%.

The shift matters for procurement teams. A shortage tied to one engine program can be monitored as a defined risk. Scarcity spread across unrelated part numbers is harder to anticipate.

What changed on the shortage list?

The GE90 engine control cluster that had dominated the Hardest to Find list for four consecutive months disappeared in September. FADEC variants (105E70898G1, G2, G3), the HMU control assembly (1693M75P08) and a temperature and pressure sensor (0154GF9) no longer appear.

In its place, constrained parts now span:

• bearings (VTB11220P20, 1B7297), bolts (51U692, 5306-01-231-7363) and gaskets (5330011165466, 613U59-0003-2)
• turbine rotor set (750574-3) and engine mount bolt (CSP282-29LA)
• starter motor (04-20148), voltage converter (41010-000) and capacitor (935A333-3)
• cabin lighting fixtures, buckles and corrosion preventive compounds

Hardware pressure is not new. Standard hardware and seals made up 45% of the Hardest to Find list in February and 40% in March, before falling to 12% in July and 16% in August. By September the share had rebounded to 33.3%.

Why are narrowbodies driving demand?

Sixteen of the 50 most searched listings carry Airbus A320 family or Boeing 737 applications, with CFM56-related parts recurring throughout. Searched A320 material includes a pin assembly (83647-14-1), landing gear bearing (201587209) and inlet cowl assembly (642-1000-49); 737 items include an Integrated Drive Generator (761574B), bleed air regulator valve (107492-6) and igniter (518888-1).

Wider aftermarket data points the same direction. GE Aerospace said CFM56 retirements are running at only 1.5% to 2% in 2026, below earlier expectations, while around 2,400 shop visits are expected in both 2026 and 2027. Cirium fleet data shows nearly 63% of in-service passenger narrowbodies are at least eight years old, including 29.3% older than 15 years — an installed base generating replacement material demand well beyond major engine assemblies.

AAR separately reported a 31% year-over-year increase in Parts Supply sales and said it saw no slowdown in parts bookings or maintenance demand.

What does this mean for Q4 procurement?

Locatory.com says the September data argues for planning around work package completeness rather than isolated headline shortages. Ten Hardest to Find part numbers repeated from August, and five parts moved from August's Most Searched data onto September's Hardest to Find list — making repeat demand a feasible early warning signal.

The platform's recommended steps for procurement teams:

• pull forward sourcing for repeat-demand items
• review exposure to frequently searched part numbers before induction
• stop treating standard hardware as low priority because of its unit value

For suppliers, the September search mix shows where buyer attention is building before requirements become urgent. Suppliers that identify repeated demand early and keep lower-value material in stock may be better positioned as Q4 maintenance activity increases.