A330/340 slat 1 assembly line SONACA surface treatment department ASCO INDUSTRIES pinion and rack EURAIR	The aeronautical construction sector is of cyclical nature. It is following the general upward trend in air traffic, which is, itself, closely linked to economic growth. The AIRBUS expects to see an average annual growth of 5 % in global traffic over the next 20 years, creating a need for around 23,000 new planes in the 100+ seater categories to be supplied to airlines. The market can be broken down into different categories of aircraft according to the graph below.