A recent Boeing market report says China’s airlines will need 7690 new planes over the next 20 year. Boeing and rival Airbus are licking their chops over the possible sales.
The Boeing report, 2018 China Current Market Outlook, raised that estimate by 6.25% over last year’s report, and pegs the order mix at 1620 wide-body planes, with the remaining 75% single-aisle planes for short and medium-haul routes. That would triple the number of long-haul planes in the country’s current fleet.
Airbus and Boeing have been hot competitors in what is now the world’s largest market for new planes, but there’s a shadow over Boeing: tariffs on U.S. planes might become part of the trade war threatening between the two countries. As well, Airbus has shown more flexibility in being willing to build planes outside its European base—and China is still working on bringing its own Comac jets into competition with the 737 and A320 single-aisle jets.
