Airlines of Russia and other CIS countries in the next 20 years will buy more than one thousand new aircraft, three quarters of which will be used to replace the existing fleet. These figures are contained in an annual forecast of Boeing - Commercial Airplanes, Itar-Tass reported.
Airlines of the CIS in 2011-2030 years will need 1,080 aircraft worth $110 billion, Boeing - Commercial Airplanes Vice President Randy Tinseth told journalists at a briefing on Monday timed to the opening of the Moscow Airspace Show (MAKS). According to him, 24 percent of them - for the expansion of the fleet, 76 percent - for the fleet replacement. The total number of aircraft in the CIS in 20 years will exceed 2,000.
Tinseth noted that the figures are 12 percent higher regarding the number of airplanes and 20 percent higher concerning the market value, compared with a similar forecast made by Boeing in 2010.
The company's vice president added over 250 Boeing airliners of various modifications are currently in service in the Commonwealth countries, and their share in the aircraft fleet of CIS airlines over the past 10 years has increased from 3 to almost 30 percent.
According to the Boeing's outlook, the commercial aviation market in the Commonwealth of Independent States continues to grow as the region's airlines add new airplanes to their fleets. We are forecasting that the CIS will acquire 1,080 new airplanes, valued at US$110 billion, over the next 20 years. Of that total, 32 percent of the airplanes are in current backlog and expected to be delivered in the next five years.
The freighter market is also growing, with 60 new airplanes-as well as 130 converted airplanes-needed to meet demand in the region. More than 65 percent of the new freighters will be in the large category. The region's economies had moderate growth in 2010. GDP was up 4.2 percent, compared to the substantial decline of 4.1 percent in 2009. Overall, we expect the GDP to grow at an average annual rate of 3.4 percent over the next 20 years. Russia continues to be the largest driver of the economy, accounting for 70 percent of GDP in 2010, followed by Ukraine and Kazakhstan, the forecast says.
Passenger traffic remains strong-up 10.1 percent in the first quarter of 2011, according to Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency. Domestic passengers account for nearly 60 percent of this traffic. Over the next 20 years, air travel is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.2 percent.
A projected 680 new single-aisle airplanes will be needed over the next 20 years to support anticipated domestic growth. Given the diverse geography of the region, airline travel is expected to become more attractive as liberalization occurs and personal incomes increase, according to the outlook.
Market growth is being supported by government programs to upgrade airports. In Russia, there are plans to replace a runway at Moscow's Domodedovo airport in 2015. This will help the airport to reach its planned capacity of 50 million passengers, it says. The budget travel market is especially underserved in the CIS, because low-cost carriers serve only a small percentage of the domestic market. Currently, low-cost carriers account for less than 4 percent of domestic airline seats in the CIS, which is well below market share in most regions. With only 5 percent of Russia's population using air services, there are substantial opportunities for airlines to stimulate the market and win new customers.
Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defence systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing operates the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest US exporters in terms of sales, according to the company website.
Boeing has a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation. It continuee to expand its product line and services to meet emerging customer needs. Its broad range of capabilities includes creating new, more efficient members of its commercial airplane family; integrating military platforms, defence systems and the warfighter through network-centric operations; creating advanced technology solutions that reach across business units; e-enabling airplanes and providing connectivity on moving platforms; and arranging financing solutions for its customers.
Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 158,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries.
MAKS (International Aviation and Space Salon) is an International Air Show held near Moscow on Zhukovskiy LII airfield. The first show, Mosaeroshow-92, was held in 1992. Since 1993, it was renamed to its current name and is held on odd years. MAKS is an important event in Russian business. Although it started mainly as an entertainment event, the show soon became a marketplace where Russian airplane manufacturers could find export contracts and Russian air carriers could find foreign contacts.
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