Boeing projects USD700bn commercial aircraft market in North America

Boeing released (02-Sep-2010) its 2010 North America market outlook, estimating that carriers in the region will take delivery of approximately 7,200 new aircraft, at an investment of USD700 billion. New deliveries in Canada and the US will be driven largely by the need to retire older narrowbody aircraft and regional jets, as airlines replace them with new-generation, more fuel-efficient models.

Forecast Highlights:

• Fleet: Increase from 6,590 to 9,000 aircraft;
• Narrowbody aircraft: To increase from 56% of total fleet to 71% of total fleet;
• Widebody aircraft: 1,180 new aircraft, to increase to 19% of the North America fleet. Will account for only 16% of total aircraft demand but 37% of the overall investment;
• Very large aircraft: 40 new aircraft (all freighters), 1% of total investment;
• Regional jets: Declining demand forecast, replaced by turboprops or larger aircraft. 800 new aircraft, accounting for 4% of the total investment for new aircraft. [more]

Boeing: "North America is a large, mature market, and we expect passenger traffic for the region to grow at a modest rate of 3.4 % ... nearly three-quarters of the new deliveries over the next 20 years will be single-aisle airplanes," Randy Tinseth, VP of Marketing. Source: Boeing, 02-Sep-2010.