China’s freighter fleet to quadruple

China’s freighter fleet is expected to quadruple in size to more than 800 aircraft in the period up to 2041, according to Boeing’s 2022 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) for China.

The CMO for China predicts that the country’s growing economy will be a big factor in its commercial aircraft fleet more than doubling over the next 20 years.

The freighter segment of the China CMO forecasts that there will be 205 deliveries of all-cargo aircraft to meet the requirements of continued e-commerce growth alongside a strong industrial supply chain.

Overall, despite the impact of the pandemic on China’s near-term growth, Boeing predicts that the country’s commercial fleet will grow from around 3,900 aircraft to more than 9,600 over the coming two decades in order to meet increasing demand for both passenger air travel and airfreight capacity.

China will require 8,485 new aircraft valued at $1.5 trillion to serve passengers and commerce over the period, the outlook predicts.

That figure of 8,485 is made up of 205 freighters, 1,570 widebodied aircraft, 6,370 single-aisle aircraft and 340 regional jets, and represents more than one-fifth of global commercial aircraft deliveries expected to take place over the next two decades.

“We have full confidence that China’s commercial aviation market will continue to prosper, despite recent economic headwinds, as Boeing celebrates its 50th anniversary in the country,” declared Peter Gao, Boeing vice president, commercial sales and marketing, Greater China.

“China’s economic fundamentals will continue to fuel the significant demand for both its passenger and cargo fleets,” he said.

Boeing’s global Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) for 2022-2041 predicted the global freighter fleet will grow by 80% over the next 20 years.

The airframer expects carriers around the world will need a total of 2,800 additional freighters, including 940 new widebody models, in addition to converted narrowbody and widebody freighters, over the forecast period.