Airbus Qatar Air deal highlights ME growth

   The Middle East aviation market will require 39 new freighters worth $11.1 billion and 1,882 passenger aircraft between now and 2030 to meet demand, Airbus said last Monday in its Global Market Forecast. 
   The European aircraft maker said the need stems from continuing fleet expansion and replacement by Middle East carriers, greater urbanization, an increasing number of mega-cities and the region’s growth as a business hub and tourist destination.
   Those factors are pushing above average passenger traffic growth of 6.4 percent per year, which far exceeds predicted average world growth of 4.8 percent during the next 20 years and will lead to a trebling of the region’s fleet from more than 800 aircraft today to about 2,260 by 2030, Airbus said.
   Meanwhile, Boeing forecast that that the Middle East’s fleet of passenger airplanes will grow from a current fleet of 1,040 planes to a projected 2,710 planes by 2030.  
   Airbus forecast that Middle East carriers will want 13 wide-body freighters and 26 very-large aircraft such as the A-380 super-jumbo jet. On the passenger side, carriers will need about 779 single-aisle aircraft such as the A-320, 801 twin-aisle aircraft such as the A-350 XWB and 302 giant aircraft. Of these, 1,442 aircraft will be necessary for growth and the remainder for replacing older aircraft with more fuel-efficient ones. Larger planes are being sought around the world in all size categories because of the growing number of airport hubs in the region, less fuel burned per passenger, and environmental benefits of reduced carbon emissions.  
  The Middle East already has more A-380 traffic than any region in the world.  
  On Tuesday, Qatar Airways signed an agreement at the Dubai Air Show for 50 A-320s and five more A-380s. The A-320s are the “neo” version, which Airbus says delivers a 15 percent fuel saving due to new engines and large winglets. The planes can fly further and carry heavier payloads, while operating more quietly than current single-aisle aircraft. The deal also includes options for 30 additional narrow-body aircraft and three A-380s.
   The airline also ordered two Boeing 777-200 freighters to augment its fleet of three 777 and three A-300 cargo planes. It currently operates 25 777 passenger planes.  
   By the end of the month, Qatar Airways will have launched service to 15 new destinations this year, with scheduled flights to Baku, Azerbaijan, and Tblisi, Georgia, to start in February. By 2013, Qatar Airway says it plans to serve more than 120 destinations. 
   The government of Qatar plans to complete its new international airport in Doha next year to accommodate the growth of its national airline.
   Qatar Airways now has 10 A-380s on order. In September, the airline acquired a 35 percent stake in all-cargo carrier Cargolux of Luxembourg.
   In its third quarter earnings report, Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence & Space NV said it booked a 200 million euro ($270.8 million) charge to cover costs associated with the delay in introducing the A-350. The money will be used to compensate customers for the delay. Airbus now says it plans to deliver the first A-350 in the first half of 2014 instead of at the end of 2013, as previously scheduled. It also said it was saving money by halting its A-340 program due to lack of interest in the four-engine jet. 
   EADS said Airbus will deliver between 520 and 530 aircraft this year.