Aircraft construction is one of the most profitable and at the same time the most capital-intensive branches of mechanical engineering. Few countries in the world, among the most developed countries, have a full cycle (macrotechnology) of the creation of aviation technology - 5-6 states with high technologies have such an industry.

The production of large passenger aircraft has been mastered by only a few states, the largest of them - wide-body aircraft - are produced by Airbus (EU) and Boeing (USA); aircraft designed for a smaller number of passengers are produced in the EU countries (ATR and Saab AB), in Canada (Bombardier), in Brazil (Embraer), in Iran (HESA), in the Russian Federation (Sukhoi, MiG, Tupolev (design bureau)) and in Ukraine - at the Kharkov Aircraft Plant and Antonov.

Enterprises of the aviation industry are located, as a rule, in large industrial centers, where finished products are assembled at the parent enterprises from parts and assemblies supplied by hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of subcontractors. The main factors in the location of manufacturing enterprises are the convenience of transport links and the availability of skilled labor.