European manufacturer Airbus predicts the commercial aircraft market to recover to pre-Covid levels between 2023 and 2025.
In an update to suppliers about its production plans, Guillaume Faury, Airbus chief executive, said: “The aviation sector is beginning to recover from the Covid-19 crisis.
“The message to our supplier community provides visibility to the entire industrial ecosystem to secure the necessary capabilities and be ready when market conditions call for it.”
Its A320 family of single-aisle passenger jets – used on short-haul routes by the likes of easyJet – is forecast to reach a production rate of 45 aircraft per month in Q4 2021.
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Airbus aims to produce 64 by Q2 2023.
“In anticipation of a continued recovering market, Airbus is also asking suppliers to enable a scenario of rate 70 by Q1 2024. Longer term, Airbus is investigating opportunities for rates as high as 75 by 2025,” it said.
Production of its A350 long-haul aircraft, is also increasing, though at a slower rate – from five per month to increase to six by autumn 2022.
Iata expects air passenger traffic to reach 43% of the 2019 level over the course of this year.
It also predicts domestic demand in the largest markets, the US and China, will drive the recovery and international traffic reach little more than one third (34%) of the 2019 level.