World freighter fleet set to double in 20 years

ALAN PEAT WITH A strong growth forecast for global air cargo, the world freighter fleet will double from 1 789 to 3 563 aircraft over the next 20-years, according to the 2006 market outlook from US plane makers, Boeing. The traffic growth, along with the expected retirements of 1 209 aircraft, will result in a total of 2 983 planes added to the freighter fleet by 2025, the annual outlook added. Nearly 62% of these additions will be in the widebody category – and these widebody freighters (with a capacity of 40-tons or more) will increase in share from 50% of the current fleet to 64% of the 2025 fleet. Consequently, there will be an increase in overall average freighter payload. Said Jim Edgar, Boeing’s regional director for cargo marketing in Asia: “The move to large freighters is already taking hold, as the 2005 fleet is only 50% standard-body (less than 50-t capacity and the body width of single-aisle passenger aircraft) freighters, versus 53% for the same segment in 2004. “The underlying trend towards accelerated widebody growth is masked by this retirement of older standard-body freighters," he said.