By Chelsey Dulaney
Boeing Co. on Tuesday said it expects its air freight traffic to
more than double by 2033, bolstered by recovery in the industry
after years of lackluster trade growth and a weak world
economy.
The U.S. airplane maker said it expects air cargo traffic to
grow by about 4.7% annually for the next two decades. Air cargo
traffic began to pick back up in the second quarter of 2013 after
years of stagnation.
Amid the sluggish cargo market, Boeing has seen a boom in demand
for new passenger jets. In July, the company raised its 20-year
forecast for growth in the market for new jetliners as operators
scramble to order smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft to cater to
rising volumes of budget travelers, notably in Asia.
Boeing said Tuesday it expects Asia-North America and
Europe-Asia to continue to be the dominant air cargo markets, while
it expects intra-Asia and domestic China markets to post the
fastest growth rates.
The company also said it expects to deliver 840 new
factory-built airplanes and 1,330 passenger to freighter conversion
planes by 2033.
Write to Chelsey Dulaney at chelsey.dulaney@wsj.com
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