Airbus hikes forecast for future freighter demand

© Mohamed Ahmed Soliman

Airbus seems confident in the growing global demand for freighters, announcing that it has hiked its 20-year demand forecast by more than 400. According to Freightwaves the manufacturer is expecting the market will need some 2,800 full freighters over the next 20 years. This is up from the 2,400 estimate given last year, and comes in response to expected increased levels of international trade, driven in no small part by e-commerce sales. Conversions would account for most of the fleet activity, supplemented by 850 newly manufactured planes, it said.