Boeing predicts $4 trillion in new planes needed by ’30

PARIS – Boeing Co. upped its forecast Thursday for aircraft demand over the next 20 years, saying airlines will need $4 trillion worth of new planes to meet a pickup in passenger numbers, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

Airlines will need 33,500 new jets from now through 2030, Boeing said in a statement.

Boeing executives released the new forecast ahead of next week’s Paris Air Show, which highlights the planemaker’s industry-dominating rivalry with Europe’s Airbus.

Boeing said the largest market will be for single-aisle jets seating between 90 and 240 passengers, with most of the growth in the booming Asia-Pacific region.

Boeing is the world’s number two commercial jet maker after Airbus, based on 2010 deliveries. Airbus delivered 510 commercial planes last year, compared with 462 for Boeing.

Associated Press