Airbus has forecast a need for 34,170 passenger and 730 freighter aircraft, worth a combined total of US$5.3t, by 2036, according to Airbus’ latest Global Market Forecast 2017-2036 presented June 9. Over the next 20 years, the manufacturer said aircraft purchases will be driven by increasing numbers of first-time flyers, rising disposable income spent on air travel, expanding tourism, industry liberalisation, new routes, and evolving airline business models. Passenger traffic is set to grow 4.4% annually over the period, slightly less than the 4.5% estimated last year. That will still lead to a doubling of the wider commercial fleet to more than 40,000 aircraft, including older models remaining in service. Over 70% of new aircraft are single aisle with 60% for growth and 40% for replacement of less fuel efficient aircraft. <br/>
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The Airbus A380 superjumbo may sprout extended wings as the manufacturer intensifies studies into the addition of curved extensions aimed at reducing drag and boosting efficiency. The so-called winglets, which on the A380 would each measure as much as 5 meters (16-feet), could reduce fuel burn by up to 4% by dissipating the vortexes of rapidly spinning air created by the plane’s wings. Airbus’s commercial aircraft chief Fabrice Bregier said Friday there’s a good chance that the company will opt to upgrade the smaller wingtip fences currently fitted on the A380. The switch, together with improved engine efficiencies, could help win orders while avoiding the greater expense of a Neo upgrade featuring new turbines and changes to the double-decker’s airframe. <br/>
The Trump administration has not decided whether the US govt will remain committed to the ICAO aviation emissions agreement and is unlikely to make a decision anytime soon, according to the US State Department. The Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is set to go into effect in 2021. So far, 70 countries, including the US, have committed to participating in the agreement’s voluntary phases from 2021-2026. But it was the Obama administration that committed the US to CORSIA when it was adopted last year, and US president Donald Trump’s announcement last week that the US is withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement called into question whether the US remained committed to CORSIA. <br/>
A years-old dispute over whether to impose restrictions on 3 Middle Eastern airlines that fly into the US has reached a new extreme: criminal allegations. A coalition of US-based airlines are taking shots at the US Travel Assn., the nation’s largest travel trade group, which has opposed restrictions on the Middle Eastern carriers. The coalition accused the trade group this week of failing to register as a lobbyist for a foreign agent because Emirates and Etihad became 2 of the US Travel Assn.’s 1,200 members this year and paid a combined US$330,000 in membership fees. “Despite claiming to represent the American travel industry, the US Travel Assn. is promoting the interests of the United Arab Emirates by lobbying on behalf of Emirates and Etihad Airways,” said a spokeswoman for the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies. <br/>
Senator Charles Schumer says president Donald Trump's plan to privatise the nation's air traffic control system could mean higher costs for consumers. The New York Democrat and Senate minority leader said Sunday that the plan Trump announced June 5 would give airlines too much control over costs. He also said that during any national security emergency, privatisation could hamper communication between air traffic controllers and the Department of Defence. Trump said air traffic control operations should be separated from the FAA. He said privatisation would increase safety and reduce passenger wait times. White House officials said a 13-member board including airline industry representatives and other stakeholders would oversee the system under Trump's plan. <br/>
If India wants its aviation sector to grow, it should lower the entire burden of taxes and charges on it, IATA has said. “We have always said to the (Indian) govt to please lower the taxes if you want aviation sector to develop and bring much more prosperity and much more additional taxes at the end of the day, than you will lose by a lower rate of tax on aviation,” IATA DG and CE Alexandre de Juniac said. When told that the govt has fixed the GST rate on air tickets at 5 and 12% for domestic and international travel, respectively, de Juniac said he was talking about the entire financial burden on the airline industry. The financial burden includes the total costs on aviation fuel and an array of charges on airports, navigation, landing and parking, he added. <br/>