The number of worldwide passenger aircraft has been forecast to more than double over the next 20 years.
The total number of aircraft providing more than 100 seats will grow from 15,000 this year to 31,000 by 2030, leading manufacturer Airbus has predicted. China, the US and Germany are expected to generate the highest demand.
Airbus said: “Over the next 20 years, Asia-Pacific will account for 34% of demand, Europe 22% and North America 22%.”
Low-cost airlines will make up around 19% of all air traffic by 2030, compared with around 5% currently, according to the European manufacturer.
Airbus also believes long-haul air traffic will grow three-fold over the next 20 years. It said this could prompt it to launch an extra-large version of the double decker A380 superjumbo by the end of the decade.
The manufacturer linked the rise in demand to the predicted worldwide growth of the middle class – traditionally those more likely to fly – from 1.84 billion this year to almost 5 billion by 2030.
Airbus’s forecast also includes 900 newly-built freighter aircraft for commercial use. Two thirds of the world’s cargo aircraft have been converted from conventional passenger planes.