China and India to Drive Jet Sales for Next 20 Years, Airbus Predicts

(Bloomberg) — Airbus SE has predicted that China and India will be key growth drivers for the aviation industry in the next two decades as the plane manufacturer expects the global commercial fleet to double in size in that period.

By 2043, Airbus anticipates there will be 48,230 aircraft operating around the world compared with the 24,240 at the start of this year, according to its annual Global Market Forecast. About 45% of all new plane deliveries will be to replace older, less fuel-efficient aircraft.