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15-Feb-2012 3:23 PM

Airbus: Asia Pacific leading demand for new aircraft

Airbus presented (15-Feb-2012) its latest forecast for the Asia Pacific region at the Singapore Airshow as follows:

  • Forecast deliveries: Airbus forecasts airlines in the Asia Pacific region will take delivery of around 9370 new aircraft over the next 20 years. Valued at USD1.3 trillion, the deliveries will account for 34% of all new aircraft with more than 100 seats entering service worldwide over the forecast period, with the region overtaking North America and Europe as the world's largest air transport market;
  • Existing orders: The Asia Pacific region accounts for 26% of all orders recorded by Airbus to date. At present, there are some 1800 Airbus aircraft in service with over 80 operators across the region, with another 1700 on order with customers for future delivery. This represents 38% of the company's total backlog;
  • Fleet replacement: Airbus expects airlines in the region will replace 76% of the 4270 aircraft currently in service, with the overall in-service fleet comprising 9965 passenger aircraft and around 820 freighters by 2030;
  • Widebody aircraft: Reflecting the concentration of growing populations around the main urban centres, Airbus predicts the region will continue to lead global demand for widebody aircraft as the most efficient way to meet rising traffic and overcome capacity constraints at airports. This, combined with replacement needs, will see carriers in the region acquire around 3650 new widebody aircraft, representing 42% of all widebody deliveries worldwide. These will include some 730 very large aircraft, such as the A380, for the busiest routes and around 2920 mid-size widebodies, such as the A330 and new A350XWB, for medium capacity, long-range and regional services;
  • Single-aisle aircraft: Airbus sees demand for single-aisle aircraft in the region accelerating in the coming years, largely driven by the significant incremental growth among LCCs. This, combined with replacement needs and continued demand on secondary short-haul routes, especially in China and India, will see a requirement for 5720 new single aisle aircraft in the region;
  • Cargo aircraft: Airbus expects the region will continue to dominate the global market. According to the new forecast, the dedicated freighter fleet operated by Asia Pacific airlines will grow from 300 at present to around 820 in 2030, representing 30% of the global freighter fleet. While many of the aircraft will be converted from passenger models, Airbus predicts around 210 new production freighters will be delivered to the region over the next two decades. Around 40% of the freighters will be in 60-70 tonne category served by mid-size widebody aircraft, such as the A330;
  • Passenger growth: Airbus expects the number of passengers carried by Asia Pacific airlines to rise by 5.9% p/a compared with the global average of 4.8%;
  • Freight growth: Airbus expects the amount of cargo carried by air through the region will increase by 5.6% annually, compared a global increase of around 5.1%. [more - original PR]

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