SINGAPORE: Smaller planes will dominate aviation orders worldwide in the next 20 years, driven by the needs of budget airlines in emerging markets like Southeast Asia, Boeing said Friday. Southeast Asia is one of the world’s fastest-growing regions for budget air travel, with an expanding middle class driving a travel boom. Boeing said it has hiked its forecast for the number of new aircraft to be delivered in Southeast Asia in the next two decades to 4,210 – up 460 on last year’s prediction. Single-aisle planes favoured by budget airlines, such as Boeing’s 737 MAX and Airbus’ A320, are projected to account for 77 per cent of the market share in Southeast Asia, he added. He said the company remains optimistic despite concerns about overcapacity as Southeast Asian governments build new airports and improve existing ones.

Source: New Strait Times September 22, 2017 10:52 UTC