Airbus sees 46% freighter increase by 2045 amid stable air cargo growth

There wasn’t much change in Airbus’ latest 20-year forecast for air cargo. The manufacturer, which plans to begin delivering an all-new A350 freighter in about a year, estimated annual cargo traffic growth would tick down a tenth of a point compared to last year’s report, but that the industry would require a few more planes than previously thought. Airbus projected that the global fleet of cargo jets will grow 46% by 2045, requiring 2,670 new aircraft — 65 more than in last year’s report. The majority of new freighters will come in the form of replacements for older existing equipment, with nearly 1,100 for growth to accommodate an estimated 3. 2% compound annual growth rate in air cargo volumes.