On the 8th of November prior to this weeks Dubai Air Show the BBC News Business reporter Theo Leggett wrote an opinion column for the BBC News Website examining the current aviation boom.
The BBC concluded that flying is more popular then ever. In the last 10 years the number of passengers caried worldwide has increased by 45%. Airbus, one of the two major aircraft manufacturers is forecasting a doubling of passenger numbers in the next 20 years. Airbus forecast that by 2030 a third of all air traffic will be in the Asia-Pacific region.
Airbus is forecasting airlines to order 29,000 new aircraft in the next 20 years to cater for increasing demand and to replace ageing models. Boeing, the other major aircraft manufacturer, is forecasting the need for 33,000 aircraft over the same period.
Despite the increase in travel between 2000 and 2010, fuel consumption by the airline industry increased by just 3% due to more efficient aircraft and better traffic management. It is estimated that aviation accounts for 8% of global economic output.
The BBC column concludes that avaition will continue to grow due to the rising middle class in Asia. Aviation is not without its challenges, primary from increased enviromental requirements which will drive up costs. These costs will eventually passed onto the end consumer but will not limit the growth of aviation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15571107 for a copy of the full article.