Global freighter fleet to double in size by 2026: ACMG report

Seattle: A forecast by the Air Cargo Management Group (ACMG) says that the global freighter fleet will more than double in size from 1,801 units now to 3,883 units in 2026.

"In addition to freighter fleet expansion to meet the growing demand for air freight services, more than 1,100 existing freighters will be retired over the next 20 years," said Robert Dahl, ACMG's project director.

"Taking both growth and replacement into account, ACMG predicts the need for more than 3,200 new and converted freighters through 2026, an average of 160 units added per year," he said.

"Interest in freighter aircraft has never been higher, as evidenced by a record backlog of orders for new and converted freighters. Over the next three years, three new wide-body freighter types will enter the market in the form of 777Fs, 747-8Fs, and A330-200Fs, all of which have enjoyed wide market acceptance.

"The changes in the freighter market are most evident in the growing fleet of wide-body units, which now comprise over half of the world's fleet of freighters, and which ACMG predicts will attain a 64 per cent share by 2026," said Dahl.

"In the narrow-body market, the long-awaited A320/321 conversion programme is moving forward, and will provide competition to the already successful 737-300/400 and 757-200 programmes currently on offer.''