Boeing, Airbus, Embraer eye APAC’s aviation boom amid production struggles

At the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines’ 69th Assembly of Presidents in Bangkok held November 14-16, 2025, leading aircraft manufacturers presented their forecasts for what they’re calling the industry’s biggest growth opportunity in years.Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer each laid out ambitious plans for what’s shaping up to be aviation’s most dramatic growth story over the next two decades.

The numbers being discussed speak of staggering growth in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region: tens of thousands of new aircraft needed, trillions in economic value, and growth rates that dwarf every other region.However, the manufacturers presenting these rosy forecasts are the same ones currently running months or even years behind on deliveries. Adding tens of thousands of orders to already stretched production lines won’t make things any easier.

Boeing: Banking on Southeast Asia’s 7% growth

Dave Schulte, Boeing’s Managing Director for APAC Marketing, emphasized Southeast Asia’s massive potential, reckoning that the region needs 4,885 new aircraft over the next 20 years, split between 3,975 single-aisle jets and 910 widebodies.

“We’re forecasting 7% annual growth—the fastest in the world alongside South Asia,” Schulte explained, noting that the region’s middle class has doubled over 25 years and currently shows no signs of slowing.

But Boeing faces a challenge it readily admits: a global shortfall of 1,500 aircraft that should already have been delivered, but weren’t. “Airlines used to plan five or six years out. Now they have to plan 10, even 15 years into the future,” Schulte observed, highlighting how the supply crunch is reshaping the industry.

The company is betting on its 737 MAX family, claiming that one takes off or lands every 12-13 seconds globally. Recently, new orders have been secured from ANA (18 aircraft), Malaysia Airlines (60), and Japan Airlines (50). 

Airbus: betting on APAC’s billion-strong middle class

Airbus President APAC Anand Stanley presented even larger numbers, forecasting nearly 20,000 new passenger aircraft needed across the broader Asia-Pacific region, representing 46% of global demand.

“All of this ends up making Asia Pacific one of the most successful commercial and economic stories, one of the largest consumer markets in the world,” Stanley stated, pointing to GDP growth of 3.4% annually and an expanding middle class of one billion people.

The European manufacturer projects demand for 16,000 single-aisle aircraft and 3,480 widebodies, with the region already operating the world’s largest widebody fleet at 900 units. 

Stanley emphasized sustainability as a key differentiator, noting that new Airbus aircraft deliver 25% better fuel efficiency, with the company working toward 100% sustainable aviation fuel capability.

Recent wins include Qantas’s A350-1000 for Project Sunrise, the world’s longest commercial flights, plus new Asian customers such as EVA Air and Korean Air joining the A350 program.

Embraer: building a $10 billion business in the APAC regional market

While Boeing and Airbus battle over large jet orders, Embraer CEO Arjan Meijer sees massive opportunity in the regional segment. The Brazilian manufacturer forecasts APAC and China will need 3,390 aircraft in the up-to-150-seat category, the largest regional requirement globally.

“We hope to climb to a $10 billion company towards the end of the decade,” Meijer revealed, in light of a $50.2 billion commercial backlog.

Embraer’s strategy targets three specific opportunities: penetrating cost-conscious low-cost carriers with the E195-E2’s improved economics; replacing Asia’s 800 aging turboprops (37% of the global fleet); and expanding hub connectivity for major carriers. The company has already notched up wins with Virgin Australia, All Nippon Airways, and LATAM, pushing E2 commitments beyond 250 aircraft.

Unlike its larger rivals, Embraer is building ground-up infrastructure, establishing simulators in Singapore, plus warehouses with $100 million in parts, and strategic partnerships across the region. “Asia Pacific is not by coincidence a focus market,” Meijer emphasized.

Reality check: orders don’t fly, aircraft do

All three aircraft manufacturers are essentially betting their futures on the same forecast: Asia-Pacific is where industry action will be for the next 20 years. 

However, the companies are already behind. Boeing admits they’re 1,500 aircraft short of where they should be, airlines are scrambling to lock in slots a decade out, and supply chain issues remain in place.

The companies that win here won’t just be the ones with the best planes or the biggest order books. They’ll be the ones that can actually deliver aircraft on time while keeping local support networks running smoothly.

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