NEW YORK: Boeing projected Friday a global commercial fleet of 50,000 planes in 2045, more than 90 percent of which will be more fuel-efficient “new-generation” aircraft.
That compares with today’s global fleet of 28,000 airplanes, reflecting higher long-term demand due to economic growth and additional travel routes.
Plane manufacturers must build nearly 44,000 new planes over the next two decades to meet new growth and replace older planes, according to Boeing’s new annual forecast.
The figures, released ahead of next week’s Farnborough Air Show in Britain, are similar to those in Boeing’s 2025 outlook, which also highlighted favorable travel demand dynamics in light of rising GDP.
In 2045, an estimated 92 percent of the fleet will have the environmental benefits of the newer fleet, estimated to use about 20 percent less fuel. About 32 percent of today’s fleet is composed of new-generation aircraft.
