Bruce Barnard | Jun 16, 2011 2:48PM EDT
The world fleet of freighters will double from 1,760 to 3,500 aircraft in the next 20 years, Boeing says in an upbeat forecast that raises estimates from a year ago on faster growth in the global economy and world trade.
The air cargo market will grow by 5.6 percent annually through 2030, outpacing passenger growth of 5.1 percent, the aircraft manufacturer said in its 2011 Current Market Outlook published in Paris today.
The addition to the freighter fleet will include 970 new planes with a market value of $250 billion and 1,990 conversions of passenger jets, Boeing said ahead of next week’s Paris Air Show.
Large freighters, with capacity over 88 tons, will account for 690 new planes and medium-freighters with 44 to 88 tons capacity will total 280 airplanes.
No new standard-body freighters of 49.6 tons capacity will be built but there will be 1,240 standard-body conversions, according to Boeing.
Boeing forecast a total market for 33,500 new passenger jets and freighters worth $4 trillion between 2011 and 2030.
“The world market has recovered and is now expanding at a significant rate,” Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in Paris.
“Not only is there strong demand for air travel and new airplanes today, but the fundamental drivers of air travel — including economic growth, world trade and liberalization — all point to healthy long-term demand.”
Boeing is flying its new 747-8 freighter to the Paris Air Show using a blend of 15 percent camelina-based biofuel mixed with 85 percent traditional kerosene fuel – the world’s first trans-Atlantic crossing of a commercial jet using biologically derived fuel.
The plane will be on display in Paris June 21-22 and will then fly to the Luxembourg headquarters of launch customer Cargolux which will take delivery of the first of 13 planes in the summer.
