SAN FRANCISCO: US aircraft manufacturer Boeing predicts that the aviation industry will need almost 44,000 aircraft over the next two decades, in its latest long-term forecast issued on Friday, reported German news agency (dpa).
It expects the total number of passenger and cargo planes in use worldwide will almost double by 2043.
Travelling was even more important to people now than before the coronavirus pandemic, said Boeing manager Darren Hulst. Demand was also mounting because aircraft are being replaced later than usual due to delivery bottlenecks.
On average, he said the fleet was around one to one and a half years older than before the pandemic.
Boeing raised its demand expectations by a good 3 per cent within a year, while around three quarters of the aircraft required will be single-aisle.
Low-cost airlines play a key role in this, Hulst said, while a fifth of the expected long-term demand is expected to come from China alone.
Boeing does not expect aircraft with innovative design solutions to enter the airline fleets in the next few years. And even if such new aircraft are introduced in the next two decades, deliveries are likely to remain low, Hulst added.
In its latest forecast, Boeing rival Airbus – the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer – also predicted a need for more than 42,000 new aircraft by 2043. The European company emphasises that these aircraft will replace models with higher fuel consumption. – Bernama, dpa
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