Airbus remains buoyant on the long-term demand for new aircraft and even upped its 20-year forecast. This optimism persists despite increasing trade tensions, expectations of a slowdown of economic growth and the globalization of calls to temper air transport’s growth to reduce carbon emissions and flying’s negative impact on the environment. The flight-shaming movement, which started in Sweden, has crossed Europe, and while it has not yet spread with the same vigor to the Middle East or other parts of the world, Extinction Rebellion protesters have a worldwide following and their campaigns increasingly target aviation.
For Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International, the “flygskam” movement represents an opportunity, not a concern. “What might strike some as a disruption or an impediment to the industry, we see this as an opportunity to continue to drive the efficiency of the industry,” he stressed during a briefing in London presenting the OEM’s Global Market Forecast (GMF) for 2019-2038. Air transportation is on a path to decarbonize and Airbus intends to be a leader in this trend, he noted.
More In Aircraft
