Boeing confident in China with thousands of jet orders forecast

Boeing Co. expects China to continue to be the main driver in aviation growth worldwide over the next 20 years, saying Chinese airlines are likely to buy 8,600 new airplanes worth $1.4 trillion during the period.

The US manufacturer said its outlook reflects an expected robust recovery for China from the Covid-19 pandemic, driven by its expanding middle-class, economic growth and urbanization, as well as government investment in transport infrastructure, regional traffic flows and a flourishing domestic market.

“Despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic, China’s projected airplane and services market represents a nearly 7% increase over last year’s 20-year commercial market outlook forecast,” Boeing said in a statement Thursday. About 25% of worldwide aviation growth over the past decade has come from China, a trend that’s expected to continue, the company said.