Boeing is dismissing Airbus’s claim that the emergence of “mega-cities” will drive future demand for high-capacity transports including the A380.
Airbus has stated that there are 42 cities handling more than 10,000 daily long-haul passengers – those flying over 2,000nm internationally.
It adds that this figure will more than double to 89 by 2032. Airbus has said that the traffic volumes will demand the use of large aircraft such as the A380.
But Boeing vice-president of marketing Randy Tinseth, speaking as the airframer detailed its latest 20-year forecast in London, said there was “no data that supports [those] conclusions”.
Boeing’s latest 20-year forecast claims that, in the 15 years to 2014, the number of seats per flight at the top 25 long-haul airports has decreased by 2%.
Frequency and capacity at these airports, it states, has risen by around 60% as the number of destinations served has increased by 46%.
Tinseth says that “expansion, not size” is the driving element behind the figures. He credits development of the Boeing 777 and 787 for giving airlines the flexibility to open new markets, adding that Boeing “didn’t expect” services such as British Airways’ 787 operation from London to Austin.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
