Middle East Needs 1,920 New Planes By 2030: Airbus

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- Airbus foresees the Middle East region requiring 1,921 new passenger and freighter aircraft of above 100 seats between 2011 and 2030 valued at US$347.4 billion. Out of these, 1,882 are passenger aircraft (US$336.3 billion) and 39 are freighter aircraft (US$11.1billion), said Airbus in its latest Global Market Forecast. It said the main drivers of the continued strong demand for new aircraft include fleet expansion and replacement, greater urbanisation, an increasing number of mega cities and the overall ongoing expansion of the region as a geographical hub and tourist destination. "With today’s aircraft capabilities every major destination around the globe is within reach of a direct flight from the Middle East," it said in a statement Monday. These factors are driving an above-average passenger demand growth rate of 6.4 per cent per year, well above the world average of 4.8 per cent over the next 20 years. This above-average growth rate will result in the almost trebling of the region's fleet from over 800 aircraft today to some 2,260 by 2030. Middle Eastern carriers are increasingly choosing larger aircraft due to the growing number of global hubs in the region, and particularly within aircraft families for the reduced training and maintenance costs, reduced fuel burn and environmental benefits they bring. “The Middle East remains one of the world’s most robust aviation regions and this is confirmed by a 200 per cent increase in inter-regional passenger traffic over the last 10 years,” Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy said. “The region is uniquely placed with more than 85 per cent of the world’s population within reach of a direct flight, making the Middle East a fertile market place for our eco-efficient aircraft today and beyond.” -- BERNAMA