Airbus expands as Asian aircraft demand rises

KUALA LUMPUR: Airbus is expanding its presence in the market for wide-body aircraft in the Asia Pacific region. The aircraft maker expects the region to need 3,420 new wide-body planes by 2045, about 42 percent of global demand for this type of aircraft over the next 20 years.

Anand Stanley, president of Airbus Asia Pacific, said the company now accounts for about half of the region’s outstanding orders for wide-body planes, up from 40 percent in 2023. He spoke on Friday during a gathering of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines in Kuala Lumpur.

Stanley said more airlines in the region were choosing the Airbus A350, a wide-body jet that comes in two versions, the A350‑900 and the A350‑1000. Air India is among the aircraft’s customers.

Airbus expects the average number of trips per person across the region to more than double by 2045. In India, the average is projected to rise from 0.1 trips a year in 2025 to 0.6 in 2045. In Australia, the figure is expected to rise from 2.8 to 4.8 over the same period.

Stanley pointed to economic growth, population and trade as the main reasons for rising demand. He said the region could have three billion middle-income residents by 2045, about half of the world’s middle-income population.