NEW DELHI: US planemaker Boeing on Thursday said it will deliver 24 aircraft to Indian carriers in 2025, with plans to deliver more starting 2027.
“We will deliver two per month on average this year. This includes both single-aisle aircraft (such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320) and dual single-aisles (such as the Boeing 787 or Boeing 777),” Ryan Weir, vice president of commercial sales and marketing at Boeing, said. Weir also said that Boeing will continue to deliver aircraft to Indian airlines at a similar pace in 2026. He, however, noted that there could be more deliveries from 2027.
Boeing’s aircraft deliveries have decreased over the past few months due to supply chain woes, in part due to a labour strike at its headquarters in Seattle. “We do expect the impact (of supply chain issues) to last for some period of time. It’s going to take a while to recover,” Weir said.
Boeing also said that India and South Asia’s commercial airplane fleet will grow nearly four-fold over the next 20 years, with the region’s carriers needing over 2,800 new aircraft by 2043 to meet growing demand.
“Continued growth will be fuelled by greater demand and a rise in the region’s air traffic, which will grow more than 7% annually through 2043, driven by sustained economic growth, improved connectivity, and policies that support air travel liberalisation, according to Boeing’s current commercial market outlook,” a statement issued by the company said.
Ashwin Naidu, managing director of commercial marketing for India and South Asia at Boeing, said that the region will need 2,835 new aircraft by 2043, continuing the fleet growth observed over the last decade.
“India and South Asia will need 2,835 new airplanes by 2043, of which 2,445 will be single-aisles, 370 will be widebodies, 20 will be freighters, and a few will be regional jets,” he said.
“The India and South Asia region continues to be the world’s fastest-growing commercial aviation market due to strong economic and trade growth, rising household incomes, and investments in infrastructure and development.”
Boeing also said investments in airports are helping build infrastructure across the country. The planemaker pointed out the new airports in Noida and Navi Mumbai will serve as catalysts for Indian aviation when they become fully operational. “We have seen a 33% growth in capacity with Mopa (second airport in Goa) being operational,” it added.
