Middle East airlines well placed for growth as other markets play catch-up: Boeing

Middle East airlines well placed for growth as other markets play catch-up: Boeing

Dubai: The global aviation market has plenty of room to grow, and governments in the Middle East are well primed to take advantage and further consolidate their lead, a senior Boeing official said on Monday. While the COVID pandemic and subsequent inflation have somewhat dampened the overall market, airlines in the Gulf have weathered the storm better than others, said Randy Heisey, Boeing’s managing director of Commercial Marketing for the Middle East and Africa, and Russia and Central Asia Regions. “The Middle East region, a popular connection point for international travelers and trade, is also growing as a starting point and destination for business and leisure passengers,” said Heisey. “The region will continue to require a versatile fleet that meets the demands of airline and air-cargo business models.” And Boeing is planning to take advantage of this anticipated spike. Middle East airlines will require 2,980 new airplanes valued at $765 billion to serve passengers and trade, the plane maker said as it revealed its 20-year demand forecast for the region. Bulk of the demand will be fulfilled by single-aisle planes, at 1,580, while wide-body aircraft demand is projected at 1,290 during this two-decade period. Of these, over two-thirds of the