Airbus forecasts 2,750 new aircraft for South American market over next 20 years

The most recent Airbus Global Market Forecast has indicated a potential need for 2,030 single-aisle and 540 widebody passenger and freighter aircraft in South America by 2035. According to Airbus President Latin America and Caribbean, Rafael Alonso, the region’s passenger and freighter fleet should surpass 3,000 in that time.
The projections are based on an anticipated 4.9 percent increase in Latin America’s domestic traffic over the next 20 years, together with a 3.8 percent growth of intercontinental flights, which mirrors a worldwide average 4.5% anticipated growth.
According to Alonso: “There’s no doubt that solid long-term growth is in store for Latin America, and we see single-aisle aircraft leading the demand. We believe the A320neo Family, already flying with Latin America’s top carriers, remains perfectly suited to deliver on future growth and efficiency demands in the region, given its superior performance and comfort.”
In addition, Alonso said that: “In the next 20 years Latin America will also be impacted by the rise of low-cost carriers in key markets such as Colombia, Chile, and Peru. This business model will impact market dynamics in the years to come, especially in domestic and intra-regional travel. Looking ahead, we also see a good opportunity for the region’s carriers to be more bullish on developing intra-regional routes, a space in which Latin America is less developed than other regions.”
More specifically, In Brazil the aviation industry contributes over US$32 billion to the country’s GDP, and fleets covering the country will need in excess of 1,400 aircraft by 2035. This is being based on an increase in Brazilians’ wish to travel, which is predicted to double the current amount of trips per capita, and the acceleration of traffic growth which is forecasted to increase by 4.8 percent year on year.
There are currently approaching 650 Airbus aircraft in operation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, which represents a 53 percent market share of in-service fleet. Since 1990, Airbus has secured more than 60 percent of net orders in the region and in the past 10 years, Airbus has tripled its in-service fleet in Latin America.