Hong Kong, China: Airbus said on Tuesday, September, 15, 2026 that it has seen no softening in aircraft demand or deliveries despite geopolitical tensions and supply-chain pressures, with airlines continuing to show strong readiness to take new aircraft.
Speaking at a briefing in Hong Kong on Airbus’ 2026–2045 market forecast, Airbus Asia-Pacific President Anand Stanley said, “We continue to see strong demand,” adding that the company was also seeing a “strong readiness to take deliveries.” Airbus deliveries have increased 9% so far in 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to Stanley.
Airbus expects airlines worldwide to require 42,060 new aircraft between 2026 and 2045, with about 45% of demand coming from Asia-Pacific. The official Airbus forecast estimates that 22,240 aircraft will be required for fleet growth and 19,820 to replace older aircraft. Single-aisle aircraft are expected to account for about 81% of deliveries, with widebodies making up the remaining 19%.
Airbus expects global passenger traffic to grow 3.9% annually, while the global passenger fleet is forecast to increase from 23,310 aircraft at the end of 2025 to 45,550 by 2045.
The Asia-Pacific outlook shows a sharp difference between India and China. Airbus raised its forecast for India’s domestic air-traffic growth to 9.3% from 8.9%, making India the fastest-growing major air-travel market in the region. India is expected to require 3,480 new passenger aircraft over the next 20 years.
China, Airbus’ largest commercial-aircraft market, is forecast to require 8,830 aircraft, while the rest of Asia-Pacific is expected to need another 6,880 aircraft. Overall regional traffic is forecast to grow by 5.1% annually through 2045.
Airbus also lowered its forecast for China’s domestic traffic growth to 4.7% from 5.4%. François Cabaret, Airbus’ Head of Global Market Forecast, said the revision reflected macroeconomic factors rather than structural overcapacity. He said Chinese airlines face a major fleet-renewal requirement, noting that before the COVID-19 pandemic they were receiving about 400 aircraft a year, while combined deliveries from Airbus, Boeing and COMAC have since fallen to less than half that level.
The Tuesday briefing also highlighted the changing geography of future air travel. Airbus expects urbanisation to increasingly shift towards smaller and secondary cities, with about 600 new small and medium-sized cities expected to emerge over the next two decades. These developments could create new airport infrastructure and route opportunities.
Stanley said the A220 has already enabled more than 400 new routes globally and could unlock another 800 city pairs in Asia-Pacific, while the A321XLR could open more than 2,200 potential routes in the region because of its long range and single-aisle configuration.
The latest comments reinforce Airbus’ broader 2026–2045 Global Market Forecast, which says long-term air-travel demand remains resilient despite short-term disruptions such as regional conflicts and high fuel prices.
Airbus expects global air traffic to more than double to about 10 billion passengers a year by 2045, driven by economic growth, urbanisation, rising middle classes and increasing connectivity. The manufacturer said its record order book and demand for newer, more efficient aircraft support continued production and fleet-renewal requirements over the next two decades.
