Middle East airlines will need about 3,000 new aircraft by 2045, doubling the region’s fleet to more than 3,500, Boeing forecast in Doha on November 3.
Widebodies account for nearly half of the projected deliveries, the highest share of any region and more than double the global average. The forecast has regional passenger traffic growing 4.3% a year, with Asia routes expanding nearly 6% annually to triple 2025 volumes by 2045.
“The Middle East has long established itself as one of the world’s most important aviation crossroads,” said Shahab Matin, Boeing’s managing director of Commercial Marketing for the Middle East and Africa. “The region’s airlines have proven to be resilient and continue to adapt as conditions evolve.”
Boeing’s outlook splits the 2,995 deliveries into 1,505 single-aisle jets, 1,370 widebodies and 120 freighters.
About 85% of the 2045 fleet will be modern, fuel-efficient aircraft delivered over the next 20 years, according to the manufacturer.
Boeing put the region’s demand for aviation services at $475bn over the period, with the services market growing about 4% a year.
The forecast came a day before lessor Avolon finalised an order for 140 Boeing 737-10s.
Airlines in the region will need 236,000 new aviation personnel by 2045. Cabin crew account for 104,000 of that total, with 67,000 pilots and 65,000 technicians.
