Airbus Raises 20-Year Total Aircraft Demand Forecast to 31,400 Jets

Airbus hiked its 20-year forecast for jet demand on Wednesday, led by growth in emerging markets as China stands on the brink of becoming the world's leading aviation powerhouse.

The European planemaker said it saw strong demand for wide-body long-distance jets as airport constraints force airlines to step up from smaller planes on some routes, and said it was considering accelerating output plans for A330neo and A350 jets.

Airbus sees total demand for 31,400 passenger and freighter aircraft between 2014 and 2033, an increase of 7 percent compared with its previous rolling 20-year forecast and equivalent to $4.6 trillion of aircraft at list prices.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, editing by William Hardy)