Boeing sees Latin American fleet tripling by 2035
“Over the long term, Latin American economies will grow faster than the rest of the world,” said Donna Hrinak, President, Boeing Latin America. “This growth will create increased passenger traffic in the region and drive Latin American airlines to expand and compete for business that has traditionally been dominated by foreign operators.”
To meet increased passenger traffic, Boeing forecasts the region will require more than 2,500 new single-aisle airplanes over the next 20 years, reflecting the continued growth of low-cost carriers and further expansion of networks in the region.
Widebody demand is forecasted at 340 new airplanes as regional carriers continue to compete more strongly on long-haul routes.
Latin America and the Caribbean now feature a younger fleet than the world average. Average airplane age in the region’s fleet continues to drop, going from more than 15 years in 2005 to less than 10 years today. The region has been in a steady replacement cycle since the mid-2000s and that trend will continue as nearly 60% of the current fleet is replaced over the next two decades.
In 2015, LATAM operated the world’s first 787 ETOPS mission beyond 180 minutes from Santiago, Chile to Auckland, New Zealand. Later this year, LATAM will utilise the full 330 minute ETOPS on the same route, trimming 90 minutes off the flight tame and saving up to 2,500 gallons of fuel per trip.