China will need one-fifth of world's new commercial airplanes over 20 years: Boeing

BEIJING -- China is expected to receive one-fifth of the world's new commercial airplane deliveries over the next 20 years, per Boeing's latest market forecast released in Beijing on Wednesday.

"China is still the biggest growth market in the world," said Darren Hulst, vice-president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Over the next 20 years, the global civil aviation market will have demand for a total of 42,595 new commercial airplanes, according to Boeing's Commercial Market Outlook. China's growing civil aviation market will drive that demand, with 8,560 new commercial airplanes needed, it says.

More than 400 airplanes are expected to enter the Chinese civil aviation market on average each year to meet the demand brought by increasing air traffic capacity and retired aircraft replacements. Additionally, the e-commerce and express delivery industries will continuously boost demand for cargo aircraft, Hulst said.

China's overall commercial airline fleet will more than double to nearly 9,600 planes by 2042, according to the market forecast.