Asia-Pacific to require 19,120 new aircraft by 2045: Airbus
Dhaka: Asia-Pacific is set to lead global aviation growth over the next two decades, with passenger traffic in the region forecast to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 5.1%, outpacing the global average of 3.9%, according to the latest Global Market Forecast (GMF 2026-2045) from Airbus.
The European planemaker said traffic volumes in the region will more than double over the forecast period, with Asia-Pacific projected to require 19,120 new passenger aircraft, representing 45% of the total global demand for 42,060 new aircraft.
Of the 19,120 aircraft needed in the region, one-third will go toward fleet replacement, while the remainder will support growth.
Airbus attributed the expansion to strong economic fundamentals, rapid urbanization, and a growing middle-income population, which is projected to reach three billion people across Asia-Pacific by 2045.
By aircraft size, the region is expected to account for nearly half of global widebody deliveries, with demand for 3,420 new aircraft. Airbus said its A330neo and A350 families have lifted its share of the region's widebody backlog to 50% over the past three years, with the A350-1000 emerging as a successor to the 777-300ER for long-range intercontinental flights.
Single-aisle demand also remains strong, with 15,700 aircraft in the 100-244 seat category required by 2045, driven by fleet replacement and domestic and intra-regional network expansion.
New airport infrastructure and longer-range narrow-body jets such as the A321XLR and A220 are expected to expand connectivity by enabling new city pairs and linking secondary cities without reliance on traditional hub airports. Airbus noted the A220 has already created more than 400 new routes worldwide and could unlock over 800 unserved city pairs in Asia-Pacific.
"We are seeing an evolution in the Asia-Pacific networks and how they connect," said Anand Stanley, President of Airbus in Asia-Pacific, adding that carriers in the region are decentralizing beyond hub-and-spoke models to connect secondary cities directly to the global economy.
As of the end of August, 119 airlines in Asia-Pacific operated 5,000 Airbus commercial aircraft, giving the manufacturer a 58% market share in the region, with nearly 3,500 aircraft on order for future delivery. This accounts for 61% of the total backlog among all manufacturers in the above-100-seat jet market.
