- Boeing projects global freighter fleet of 4,010 aircraft by 2045.
- The forecast requires 2,930 freighter deliveries.
- Air cargo traffic is expected to grow 3.5pc annually.
- Asia will represent approximately 60pc of the global market.
- Two-thirds of fleet additions will be passenger-to-freighter conversions.
Boeing has projected that air cargo traffic will double by 2045 with the global freighter fleet expected to exceed 4,000 aircraft. According to Boeing’s 2026 World Air Cargo Forecast global air cargo traffic is projected to double over the next 20 years expanding the global freighter fleet by 67pc to reach 4,010 aircraft by 2045. The outlook was released at the International Air Cargo Association’s Air Cargo Forum in Miami.
Traffic is expected to expand at an average rate of 3.5pc annually outpacing overall economic growth. Operators will require 2,930 new and converted freighters over the next two decades. Roughly 55pc of these deliveries will serve capacity expansion while 45pc will replace older aircraft. Around two-thirds of upcoming fleet additions will be passenger-to-freighter conversions with the remaining third being new-production builds.
Asia will represent approximately 60pc of the entire global market driven by manufacturing and regional trade. Boeing’s outlook presents a more aggressive projection than the 20-year forecast published by Airbus which projected a fleet of 3,460 aircraft and 2,670 deliveries. Boeing anticipates that dedicated freighters will carry more than half of the world’s air cargo over the long term.
