Airbus: Plane numbers to double

19 September 2011 Last updated at 15:48 GMT The A380 superjumbo is Airbus' flagship model The number of passenger planes worldwide will more than double over the next 20 years, planemaker Airbus has predicted.

The number of planes made by all manufacturers of more than 100 seats will grow from 15,000 this year to 31,000 by 2030, it forecast.

China, the US and Germany are predicted to generate the greatest demand.

"Over the next 20 years, Asia-Pacific will account for 34% of demand, Europe 22% and North America 22%," it said.

Airbus, speaking at its annual global forecast meeting, predicted that the number of low-cost airlines will make up around 19% of all air traffic by 2030, compared with around 5% currently.

Middle-class growth

It claims the number of middle-class people - traditionally more likely to fly - will grow from 1.84 billion this year to almost 5 billion by 2030.

Airbus's forecast also includes 900 newly built freighter aircraft for commercial use. Two thirds of the world's cargo planes have been converted from conventional passenger planes.

The European firm, which makes the giant double-decker A380 superjumbo, believes long-haul air traffic will grow three-fold over the next 20 years.

It could even launch an extra-large version of the A380 by the end of this decade, it said.

View the original article here

Read More

Netflix user numbers fall sharply

15 September 2011 Last updated at 21:20 GMT Users who want to rent DVDs by post are now having to pay more Shares in US internet film streaming and DVD mail rental company Netflix have slumped by 19% after it confirmed that it was losing customers following a recent price rise.

Netflix said it would have 24 million US subscribers by the end of September, down from 25 million in July.

It follows after Netflix announced in July that it would be increasing the cost of its DVD service.

The move has raised the monthly bill of some of its users by 60% or $6 (£3.90).

Netflix chose to increase prices on the DVD side of its business as more and more of its customers had instead switched to streaming its available movies via the internet instead.

However, the rise has had an angry response.

Analyst Barton Crockett of Lazard Capital said the decision was a "rare, large and surprising misstep" by the company and its chief executive Reed Hastings.

View the original article here

Read More