Boeing Forecasts Strong Demand From Middle East

Boeing expects 70 percent of new aircraft demand in the Middle East in the next 20 years will be for fleet expansion as the region's airlines continue their strong growth.

Boeing reiterated its June forecast ahead of the biennial Dubai airshow next week, which raised regional demand over the next 20 years to 3,180 new aircraft, compared to 2,950 aircraft in its 2014 forecast.

"Traffic growth in the Middle East continues to grow at a healthy rate and is expected to grow 6.2 percent annually during the next 20 years," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing at Boeing commercial planes.