Bombardier expects the number of aircraft in the Middle East's 60- to 150-seat segment to more than triple over the 20 years to 2036.
The forecast figures were shared by the Canadian airframer at the Dubai air show.
Bombardier foresees that 450 aircraft with a total value of $820 million will be delivered in the 60- to 150-seat segment in the Middle East. That represents 4% of the total 12,250 deliveries worldwide.
The "large regional aircraft" category of 60-100 seats is forecast to account for 200 deliveries, while the small single-aisle category of 100-150 seats will make up the remainder.
Bombardier notes that although Middle Eastern airlines were mostly profitable in 2016, the trend is looking downward.
"Double-digit capacity increases in the last two years to gain market share were achieved at the expense of decreasing yields due to emergence of low-cost carriers in the region," it says. "The US attempts to curb air travel from some Middle East countries has also put pressure on the region's widebody-driven business model.
"This will result in a slowdown of widebody aircraft deliveries."
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Source: Cirium Dashboard
