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AAR repairs and supplies parts for airplanes and also flies cargo and charter flights for the U.S. government and other customers.
AAR Corp. is an aviation company with two main businesses. The bigger one is fixing and supplying parts for airplanes, and the smaller one is running its own flights. Its customers are mostly airlines, the U.S. government, and military forces. It makes money by charging for repairs, selling spare parts, and getting paid to fly cargo and passengers.
Think of AAR as a mix of a repair garage and a delivery service, but for airplanes. Airlines don't want to keep every spare part or fix everything themselves, so they pay AAR to handle it. The U.S. government also hires AAR to move troops and cargo to places like Afghanistan or disaster zones. The flying business is smaller but steady because governments need it. In recent years, AAR has been growing its parts and repair side by buying smaller competitors, like its 2024 deal for Triumph Group's product support business, which added more parts and repair capacity. The company is headquartered near Chicago. It was founded in 1955, but today it mostly focuses on keeping planes flying and moving things for the government. AAR uses its cash to buy other companies and pay down debt, which helps it grow without taking on too much risk. The business is not flashy, but it's essential — planes break, and someone has to fix them and find the parts.
Saved answer · last researched 15 Oct 2026
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