Airbus expects growth in the aeronautical services sector in Middle East in the next decade of 4.7% per annum to 2041, exceeding the media overall by 3.7%.

The company attributed the growth of aviation services, in particular maintenance, repair and modification, to the growing reliance on digital solutions and to investments by regional governments in the localization of maintenance services to take advantage of this sector in local growth.

A recent report from Airbus revealed that delivery orders for airlines in the Middle East region are expected to rise to 3,020 new passenger and cargo aircraft by 2040, bringing the total fleet to 3,210 from 1,300 aircraft in 2019.

According to Airbus estimates, in the next decade the aviation services sector in Middle East will grow by 4.7% annually until 2041, exceeding the media overall by 3.7%.

The company attributed the growth of aviation services, in particular maintenance, repair and modification, to the growing adoption of digital solutions, in order to achieve efficiency and reduce costs.

He said that more than 65% of Airbus aircraft flying in the region are connected to Airbus’ digital applications, which provide a follow-up directly to aircraft and allow for better planning of maintenance activities.

Regional governments are also investing in localization of maintenance services to take advantage of this industry in local growth, paving the way for job creation, education and training of managers in this field.

In earlier forecasts, Airbus said the region would see the addition of 56,000 new pilots, 51,000 new technicians and 100,000 cabin crew workers in the period between 2022 and 2041.

He also predicted that the value of the aviation services market in Middle East would have grown to $25 billion by 2041 from $9 billion today.

Experts believe that questindustry in the region will return to pre-corona crisis levels this year, led by maintenance and training services and strong support from digitalisation.

New services to increase fleet efficiency will boost the sector’s decarbonisation ambitions, while demand for highly skilled labor will grow to more than 2 million people over the next 20 years.