Chile sees demand for more than 160 aircraft in next 20 years

Airbus unveils country’s market forecast at 2012 FIDAE Air Show

29 March 2012

Airbus forecasts that Chilean Airlines will need 164 new passenger aircraft above 100 seats over the next 20 years to meet the demand of a growing air traffic market. The new 108 single-aisle, 53 twin-aisle and three very large aircraft, such as the A380, will represent a market value of US$19.8 billion.

According to the latest Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF), the number of Chile’s passenger aircraft is expected to more than double over the next 20 years thanks in part to the country’s domestic traffic growing by 83 percent.

International traffic to and from Chile increased nearly 80 percent in the last decade giving Chilean carriers the opportunity to acquire more than 50 percent of the market.

“Of the 15 largest countries in Latin America, Chile currently has largest GDP per capita, making it possible for their travel economy to grow at an impressive rate” said Rafael Alonso, Executive Vice President of Airbus for Latin America and Caribbean. “In fact, by 2030, Santiago is expected to become one of the top hundred largest long-haul gateways with more than 10,000 daily passengers.”

In Latin America, where air traffic has nearly doubled in the last decade, Airbus foresees a 20-year demand for more than 2,000 new passenger aircraft, including 1,653 single-aisle, 334 twin-aisle and 41 very large aircraft, estimated at approximately $200 billion. Globally, by 2030 some 27,900 new aircraft valued at $3.5 trillion will be required to satisfy future robust market demand.

With more than 700 aircraft sold in Latin America and a record backlog of more than 350, over 400 Airbus aircraft are in operation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. In the last 10 years, Airbus has tripled its in-service fleet, while delivering more than 60 percent of all aircraft operating in the region.

Source and photo: Airbus