Boeing: Widebodies to account for more than half of demand in the Middle East

Boeing forecast (14-Nov-2013) airlines in the Middle East will require 2610 new aircraft over the next 20 years, worth an estimated USD550 billion. 66% of the demand is expected to be driven by the rapid fleet expansion in the region. One-third of demand - 900 aircraft - will replace today's fleets. Long-range, widebody aircraft will continue to dominate the Middle East's order books, "reflecting the global network priorities and emerging alliances and partnerships of the region's carriers". According to the Boeing forecast, widebody aircraft will account for more than half of the region's new airplane deliveries over the 20-year period - as compared to 24 percent globally. Narrowbodies will make up 47% of regional deliveries through to 2032, while large aircraft will account for 10% of forecasted demand. Regional jets account for the remaining 1% of demand. [more - original PR]

Boeing Commercial Airplanes: "International traffic growth in the Middle East continues to outpace the rest of the world. The Gulf region benefits from a unique geographic position that enables one-stop connectivity between Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Additionally, over the last decade, we've seen a rise in low-cost carriers that have benefitted from a large youthful population, large migrant workforce and trends toward market liberalization," Randy Tinseth, Vice President of Marketing. Source: Boeing Commercial Airplanes, 14-Nov-2013.