Airbus says the resilience of passenger traffic will require carriers in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands to acquire 631 new aircraft valued at US$87bn (A$96bn) between now and 2028.
According to its Global Market Forecast, Airbus predicts that revenue passenger kilometres will grow by five per cent over the next 20 years, higher than the 4.7 per cent predicted globally. A large part of the growth will come from new air links forged with countries in the Asia Pacific region such as the powerhouse economies of India and China.
As such, 360 aircraft will be required to accommodate this growth, while 271 will replace existing aircraft. By segment, Airbus sees demand for 399 single-airline aircraft, 172 twin-aisle widebodies and 60 very large aircraft.
The forecast is broadly in line with Boeing’s Current Market Outlook, which predicts that the region will require 670 new aircraft, of which 63 per cent are expected to be narrowbodies, 30 per cent twin aisle, six per cent large aircraft and one per cent regional jets.
