The Singapore Airshow officially opened on Tuesday, and Airbus has underlined Sunday’s announcement from Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) that new aircraft deliveries to the Asia-Pacific region will drive the industry for the next 20 years. Airbus forecasts new deliveries to the region totaling 10,940 new passenger and cargo planes for a total value of $1.8 trillion. The totals account for 37% of all new planes delivered through 2032 and 42% of the total value of those deliveries.

On Sunday, Boeing released its estimates that Asia-Pacific airlines will require 12,280 new planes over the next 20 years, or 36% of all global deliveries, with a total value of $1.9 trillion.

Both Airbus and Boeing have noted that increasing urbanization in the region is perhaps the major force behind the expected growth in Asia-Pacific aircraft demand. According to Airbus, of the 89 cities around the world projected to have populations of more than 10 million by 2032, 25 are in Asia-Pacific, and there will be 90 cities in the region with a population of more than 1 million. The company expects demand for widebody planes like its A330 and A350 and Boeing’s 777 and 787 to reach 3,350, and demand for large jets like its A380 and the Boeing 747 to reach 780.

As the demand for Boeing’s 787 begins to build, the aircraft could be running into a manufacturing bottleneck. Reuters reported Tuesday morning that the company’s announced build rate of 10 per month for the 787 may not be sustainable. The news service cites unnamed Boeing employees who say the company’s new plant in South Carolina cannot complete its work orders and is sending pieces of the plane to the Everett, Wash., plant for final assembly. The employees said it is not a lack of skill, but a lack of hands: “[T]here are not enough [South Carolina employees] to match the rate increase. They can’t keep up.”

Boeing says it has hired hundreds of contract workers in South Carolina to help fix the problem. The South Carolina plant is scheduled to reach a production rate of three new 787s a month by mid-year. The other seven planes will be built in Everett. Boeing has about 7,000 staff and contract employees at the South Carolina plant.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.