[Airbus expects the global freighter fleet to grow by 46% to 3,460 aircraft in 2045] October 22, Airbus’ latest forecast shows that the global dedicated freighter fleet will increase from 2,360 aircraft in 2026 to 3,460 aircraft in 2045, an increase of 46%. In the next 20 years, the world is expected to need to add and replace 2,670 freighter aircraft, of which 1,580 will be used to replace old models and 1,090 will be used to meet market growth demand. In terms of aircraft types, the required cargo aircraft include 1,140 single-aisle aircraft, 860 medium wide-body aircraft and 670 large wide-body aircraft; of which 970 are new cargo aircraft and 1,700 are modified from passenger aircraft. Airbus predicts that global air cargo volume will grow at an average annual rate of 3.2% in the next 20 years, which is higher than the 2.9% average annual growth rate expected for long-term trade scale. North America and the Asia-Pacific region will become the main sources of freighter demand, requiring 925 and 850 aircraft respectively, accounting for approximately two-thirds of global demand.