Reuters :
Airbus on Monday revised up its 20-year demand forecast for jetliners as many airlines modernise long-haul fleets and Asia’s surging economies lock into air travel. The world’s largest planemaker predicted in an annual report on jet industry trends that the global fleet would more than double over the next two decades to 48,230 planes.
Airbus predicted industry-wide deliveries of 42,430 new aeroplanes over the next 20 years, including 41,490 passenger jets, with both figures up 4% since the previous survey. Airbus divides its demand forecasts into trips that are typically carried out on single-aisle planes, the industry’s most-sold models, and the marathon segment for wide-body jets. The range and performance of single-aisle planes have steadily improved, eating into markets previously served by bigger planes and helping to transform transatlantic travel.
The report comes as the planemaker’s long-distance, single-aisle A321XLR is expected to win certification in the coming days. Boeing is developing a longer-range version of its 737 MAX. After a prolonged lull, demand for larger wide-body planes is accelerating sharply as airlines renew capacity, and the most significant changes in Airbus’ forecast affect the long-haul fleet.