870 new freighters required by 2026
More effective use of future freighters
The air cargo market is set for average growth of 6.1 percent per year, comprising 6.2 percent per year for air freight and 2.5 percent per year for airmail. This will triple the volume of world air cargo traffic (RTKs) over the 20-year period.
The average size of freighter airplanes will increase to carry this increased amount of freight, and the dedicated cargo fleet will double from 1,980 to 3,980 airplanes.
Some of the increase in freighter capacity will be accounted for by the 2,480 passenger airplanes that will be converted to freighters. In addition, 870 new dedicated freighter airplanes will be delivered.
The proportion of cargo carried in the belly holds of passenger airplanes will decrease, because dedicated freighters deliver more flexible and time-definite service.
Large share of widebody freighters
The improved efficiency of the new types of widebody freighter airplanes recently offered to the market (as exemplified by the 777 Freighter and 747-8 Freighter) provide air cargo carriers options for service that have not previously been feasible.
This product response to market requirements has helped revitalize interest in new widebody freighter acquisitions, which will go some way toward mitigating the effect of sustained high fuel prices. By 2026, about 64 percent of the freighter fleet will be widebody types, as opposed to about 58 percent today.
Expanded market coverage
As with the passenger airplane forecast, the CIS region is included in this year's Current Market Outlook numbers.
