Airbus confirmed in its global forecasts for the year 2026-2045 that the aviation sector in the Middle East possesses “internal strength” that enables it to overcome the current turmoil related to the Iran war.
Despite a contraction in passenger traffic and expectations of net losses amounting to $4.3 billion during 2026, according to IATA data, Airbus believes that these shocks remain short-term and do not change the structural role of the region as a global air transport hub.
The company expects the region to need 3,490 new aircraft over the next two decades, bringing the operating aircraft fleet to 3,160 aircraft by 2045.
The region’s orders are characterized by a high concentration of wide-body aircraft at 46%, which reflects the continued reliance of the region’s carriers on long-haul flights and global connectivity networks.
This report comes in light of the sector’s suffering from airspace restrictions and high costs, as the flight network’s recovery reached between 80% and 90% in early July, after a sharp decline that followed the escalation of tensions in late February.
