'Indian airlines will need 60 wide-body planes for long routes by FY2032'

Long and ultra-long haul operations can be structurally profitable given the strong demand for non-stop connectivity, it said and added that higher pricing thresholds and stability are visible.

Indian airlines will require around 60 more wide-body aircraft to serve long and ultra-long haul markets in financial year 2032, aviation consultancy CAPA India said on Thursday.

India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets but at present, only Air India and Vistara have wide-body planes in their fleets.

IndiGo on Thursday announced placing a firm order for 30 A35-900 planes and also has the right to buy up to 70 more aircraft.

During a webinar on 'Outlook for Wide-body Aircraft in India', the consultancy said the country's long and ultra-long haul market is "ripe for disruption, provided that Indian carriers lead the charge".

Long and ultra-long haul operations can be structurally profitable given the strong demand for non-stop connectivity, it said and added that higher pricing thresholds and stability are visible.

Further, it said the wide-body aircraft needed by Indian carriers to serve long and ultra-long haul markets by FY2032 will be around 100, which means 60 more wide-body planes will be required by the airlines by the given time. Generally, ultra-long haul flights have a duration of more than 16 hours. Air India group, IndiGo and Akasa Air are expanding their operations.