newstodate.aero
Oct 10, 2013 (newstodate): According to Airbus' new Cargo Global Market Forecast, world-wide air freight traffic will grow by an average of 4.8 per cent annually over the next 20 years, almost doubling the required global freighter fleet to nearly 3,000 aircraft.
This projected growth is driven by numerous positive global trends in economic activity, including world trade, private consumption, and industrial production.
The forecast shows that the overall worldwide air cargo demand by the year 2032 will require around 2,700 new and converted aircraft.
Over half of these will be needed for fleet replacement driven by current old aircraft retirements with the remainder being for growth.
Of these 2,700 aircraft, 870 will be factory-built freighters, while around 1,860 will be converted from passenger aircraft.
A further 175 in 2032 will be aircraft which are already in service as freighters today.
Belly freight usage in passenger aircraft is taken into account which will remain largely unchanged at around half of commercial air freight on international traffic.
Small freighters account for about 23 percent of the fleet today and although the express freight market boom in China and India will boost the number of small freighters from 380 in 2012 to more than 600 aircraft by 2032, their overall proportion of the world fleet will nevertheless decrease slightly, to around 21 percent.
Mid-size freighters represent about 45 percent of the fleet in service and are increasingly used for regional express services and regional and long-haul general cargo operations. Their numbers are expected to boom in the coming years driven by growth in emerging markets, especially in China.
The mid-size segment is expected to grow to over 1,290 units by 2032, up from 744 units at the end of 2012. Thus, this category will retain its dominant 45 per cent share of the world freighter fleet.
Large freighters represent about 32 percent of the fleet today and are mainly used on long-haul operations between three main markets USA, Europe and Asia. The fleet of large aircraft will reach over 1,000 aircraft by 2032, while slightly increasing its share of the world freighter fleet.
This projected growth is driven by numerous positive global trends in economic activity, including world trade, private consumption, and industrial production.
The forecast shows that the overall worldwide air cargo demand by the year 2032 will require around 2,700 new and converted aircraft.
Over half of these will be needed for fleet replacement driven by current old aircraft retirements with the remainder being for growth.
Of these 2,700 aircraft, 870 will be factory-built freighters, while around 1,860 will be converted from passenger aircraft.
A further 175 in 2032 will be aircraft which are already in service as freighters today.
Belly freight usage in passenger aircraft is taken into account which will remain largely unchanged at around half of commercial air freight on international traffic.
Small freighters account for about 23 percent of the fleet today and although the express freight market boom in China and India will boost the number of small freighters from 380 in 2012 to more than 600 aircraft by 2032, their overall proportion of the world fleet will nevertheless decrease slightly, to around 21 percent.
Mid-size freighters represent about 45 percent of the fleet in service and are increasingly used for regional express services and regional and long-haul general cargo operations. Their numbers are expected to boom in the coming years driven by growth in emerging markets, especially in China.
The mid-size segment is expected to grow to over 1,290 units by 2032, up from 744 units at the end of 2012. Thus, this category will retain its dominant 45 per cent share of the world freighter fleet.
Large freighters represent about 32 percent of the fleet today and are mainly used on long-haul operations between three main markets USA, Europe and Asia. The fleet of large aircraft will reach over 1,000 aircraft by 2032, while slightly increasing its share of the world freighter fleet.