This accounted for more than half of Airbus' total deliveries worldwide (718 aircraft) during the year. Deliveries to the region included almost 100 new widebody aircraft and marked the arrival of the long-rage A350 XWB with three new Asian operators.
Here is Airbus' 20-year market forecast in numbers:
- 5.6 percent annual growth in passenger traffic (global average 4.4 percent)
- Traffic will triple in the next 20 years
- Asia-Pacific fleet will grow from 6,100 today to almost 17,000
- Demand for 14,450 new aircraft valued at US$2.3 trillion
- 40 percent of total world demand for almost 35,000 aircraft over next 20 years
- 4,000 widebodies and 650 very large aircraft = 46 percent of global widebody demand
- 9,800 single-aisle aircraft = 40 percent of global single-aisle demand
In 2017, Airbus also won the lion's share of new business in the region, gaining 65 percent of the market with 100 new aircraft orders from seven customers. This brings the Airbus backlog in the region to more than 2,000 aircraft, corresponding to a third of the total backlog for the company.
"Accounting for one-third of Airbus total backlog, one-third of Airbus total orders and one-third of the overall Airbus in-service fleet, there is no doubt that Asia-Pacific is a core market for Airbus," said Airbus executive vice president and chief of Sales, Marketing and Contracts, Eric Schulz.
"With traffic tripling over the next 20 years, and some of the highest growth rates, the Asia-Pacific region will by far be the world's largest aviation market," he said when presenting the regional results and market forecast at the Singapore Air Show 2018.
According to the Airbus forecast, the Asia-Pacific region will see an annual increase in passenger traffic of 5.6 percent and will require some 14,450 new aircraft over the forecast period. This represents more than 40 percent of global demand for almost 35,000 aircraft over the next 20 years.
Airbus maintains a leading share in the Asia-Pacific region in both the single-aisle and widebody markets. Today, more than half of all single-aisle aircraft flying in the region are from the A320 family. The Airbus widebody family is also successful, with almost 800 flying today and another 350 on order for future delivery, representing 60 percent of total widebody backlog in the region.
The A350 XWB is the new long-range leader in the Asia-Pacific region, where 14 airlines have placed orders for 287 aircraft. Eight carriers from the region are already flying the modern widebody on long range routes to Europe and the US.
The A350-1000, nearing its first customer delivery in the coming weeks, will further consolidate the A350 XWB position.
In 2018 Airbus will deliver the first A350-1000 for the region to Cathay Pacific, as well as the first A350 Ultra Long Range to Singapore Airlines.
