The future of the aerospace industry appears bright and will be characterised by strong aircraft demand for the foreseeable future. Consequently, demand for aluminium alloys for this industry will remain high as well.
The worldwide commercial passenger and cargo aircraft fleet, as well as the annual number of passengers, are forecast to double over the next two decades. According to Deloitte, over the next 20 years passenger and freight traffic are expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 4.6 % and 4.4 % respectively, contributing to increases in aircraft production. The increased passenger travel demand in countries experiencing growing living standards, primarily India, China, the Middle East, and other Asia-Pacific region countries, is driving global passenger leisure and business travel growth, and increasing freight transportation requirements. The need for improvements in fuel burning, lower maintenance costs, and reduced noise and emissions will drive aircraft manufacturers to optimise design solutions for a new generation of aircraft.
Read more: Aersopace industry trends & aluminium use