Airbus Global Market Forecast 2026-2045

In the next 20 years, urbanisation will shift to smaller cities. The number of smaller urban centres will grow at a significantly faster pace than larger ones. This evolution is decentralising aviation networks, driving airlines to expand connectivity beyond traditional megacities.

Traffic patterns are evolving with robust growth in developing economies like India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. This changing landscape relies on new-generation aircraft capabilities to bypass traditional hubs and to provide enhanced economics that make more routes commercially viable. Extra range unlocks direct connections: the A220 links Riga to Tenerife, and the A321XLR connects Dublin to Nashville. For longer sectors, the A330neo and A350 enable routes like Algiers to Kuala Lumpur and Taipei to Phoenix. 

Air transport is a key contributor to the global economy and society. It drives global business, contributing to 3.9% of global GDP, and facilitates tourism, with 58% of international tourists travelling by air.

Beyond economic metrics, aviation delivers a profound societal impact by connecting people and fostering development:

• Lifeline to remote communities: Hundreds of remote communities, particularly in Arctic zones, rely primarily on aviation.
• Education and research: It enables over six million international students to access education abroad and facilitates more than 30 scientific congresses every day.
• Family ties: Aviation sustains connections for a growing diaspora, linking over 300 million migrants with their relatives.

A doubling in the global in-service fleet will generate a need for new pilots, technicians and cabin crews, creating careers throughout the aviation ecosystem.