European aircraft manufacturing giant, Airbus expects a sustained demand for freighters over the next 20 years with nearly 70% of the current fleet anticipated to be replaced.
According to airspace-africa.com, a report by airframer’s 2022 Global Market Forecast (GMF) for the 2022-2041 period, says the world freighter fleet in service will reach 3,070 aircraft by 2041.
The new report, published on July 8, anticipates that there will be demand for 2,440 new-build or converted freighters over the next 20 years, with nearly 900 new-build freighters expected.
Of this expected freighter demand over 2022-2041, 990 will be 10-40 tonne single-aisle aircraft, 890 will be 40-80 tonne mid-sized widebody aircraft and 560 will be 80 tonnes large widebody aircraft.
2,030 aircraft were in service at the beginning of 2020. Of this number, 31% will stay in service (including 2020 & 2021 deliveries), while 69% will be replaced.
Express air cargo is predicted to outpace general air cargo. The airframer said that in 2019, express air cargo made up 17% of the airfreight market, while general air cargo encompassed 83%.
But by 2041, express air cargo, boosted by e-commerce is expected to climb to comprise 25% of the market.
Airbus expects world air cargo traffic growth of 3.2% CAGR from 2019-2041. The positive expectation of freighter demand over the coming years comes as Airbus recently announced the development of a new large widebody freighter model – the A350F.
