Airbus sees no softening in demand despite geopolitical headwinds

On September 15, Airbus' Asia-Pacific president Anand Stanley reported that the company has not observed any decline in aircraft demand or deliveries due to geopolitical or supply chain challenges. In a briefing focused on the Asia-Pacific region and its 2026-2045 market outlook, Stanley emphasized that strong demand persists, alongside a growing readiness to take deliveries. Delivery upticks were noted across the board, not solely within the Asia-Pacific but also in the Middle East.

Airbus anticipates the necessity of approximately 42,000 new aircraft globally over the next two decades, with about 45 percent of these deliveries expected to be allocated to the rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific region. François Cabaret, Airbus' global market forecast head, highlighted during the event that Chinese airlines face a significant challenge in fleet renewal.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese airlines had procured around 400 deliveries annually; however, the cumulative number from Airbus, Boeing, and Chinese manufacturer COMAC has since declined to under half of that figure.

According to Airbus' data, China, as the single largest market for commercial jets, will require 8,830 new passenger aircraft within the next two decades, while India will need 3,480, and the remaining Asia-Pacific region will require 6,880. The forecast also showcased varying growth rates within Asia. India is now identified as the world's fastest-growing air travel market, with Airbus revising its domestic traffic growth forecast from 8.9 to 9.3 percent. Conversely, China's growth rate has been reduced from 5.4 to 4.7 percent.