By Mauro Orru

Airbus SE said Saturday that some 39,000 new passenger and freighter aircraft will be needed by 2040 as it expects that the retirement of older and less fuel-efficient aircraft will continue to accelerate.

The European plane maker said that most commercial aircraft in operation by then will be of the latest generation, compared with some 13% today, a development that it expects will considerably improve decarbonization efforts.

"As economies and air transport mature, we see demand increasingly driven by replacement rather than growth. Replacement being today's most significant driver for decarbonization," said Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International.

"The world is expecting more sustainable flying and this will be made possible in the short-term by the introduction of most modern airplanes," he added.

Meanwhile, Airbus said Sunday that the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defense ordered two additional Airbus A330 Multirole Tanker Transport aircraft, bringing the country's multirole tanker transport fleet up to five aircraft.

The agreement also covers the upgrade of the country's current fleet, with deliveries starting in 2024.

Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com; @MauroOrru94

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 15, 2021 02:25 ET (07:25 GMT)

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