Photo: Airbus.
With the global fleet of in-service commercial aircraft projected to double by 2036, Airbus is projecting the industry will need 550,000 new aircraft maintenance engineers to maintain those new airframes. The airframe manufacturer released its 2017 global market forecast June 9, during its media day press conference ahead of the upcoming Paris Air Show.
According to Airbus, over this period, increasing numbers of first time flyers, rising disposable income spent on air travel, expanding tourism, industry liberalization, new routes and evolving airline business models are driving a need for 34,170 passenger and 730 freighter aircraft worth a combined total of $5.3 trillion. Over 70% of the projected demand for new aircraft are single aisle units with 60% for growth and 40 percent for replacement of less fuel efficient aircraft.
Asia Pacific is set to take 41% of new deliveries, followed by Europe with 20% and North America at 16%. Middle class numbers will almost double to nearly 5 billion as wealth creation makes aviation even more accessible particularly in emerging economies where spending on air travel services is set to double.