Boeing forecasts the Middle East commercial aircraft fleet will more than double to over 3,500 aircraft by 2045, driven by rising travel demand. Its 2026 Commercial Market Outlook projects nearly 3,000 deliveries over the next 20 years, including 1,505 single-aisle aircraft, 1,370 widebodies and 120 freighters. The forecast, presented in Doha, Qatar, on 3 November, represents regional demand rather than orders or commitments from individual airlines.
Boeing expects passenger traffic in the region to grow by 4.3% annually through 2045. Long-haul connectivity, tourism, economic diversification and regional travel are among the demand drivers identified in the outlook; traffic on major routes to Asia is projected to grow by nearly 6% over the period.
Widebodies account for nearly half of projected deliveries, the highest share among the regions covered by Boeing’s forecast. The outlook also anticipates fleet renewal: about 85% of the aircraft in service in the Middle East by 2045 are expected to have been delivered during the forecast period.
For cargo, Boeing projects 120 new widebody freighters. It expects Middle East carriers’ share of the global large widebody freighter fleet to rise from less than 10% to nearly 20%. The forecast also estimates $475 billion in regional aviation-services demand and a need for 236,000 aviation professionals through 2045.