Chicago-based Boeing Co. believes a $2.1 trillion market for 25,7000 new passenger and freighter commercial airplanes will exist during the next two decades. Those numbers are slightly above Boeing's 2004 projections, when it put the new commercial aircraft market at $2 trillion and 25,000 planes.
During the next 20 years, figures Boeing, airlines will take delivery of 3,900 regional jets; 15,300 single-aisle airplanes; 5,600 twin-aisle mid-size airplanes; and 900 airplanes with 400 or more seats.
Boeing is likely to have intense competition from rival Airbus SAS for much of the projected market, especially for twin-aisle mid-size aircraft. On June 8, one of Airbus' parents, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. NV, confirmed its commitment toward "full industrial launch" of the A350 by the end of September. The A350 is Airbus' planned challenge to Boeing's 787, a twin-aisle, mid-size, high-efficiency aircraft due to go into production in 2006 and commercial service in 2008.
