Indian, South Asian airlines expected to add 2,835 planes over 20 years: Boeing

The CMO also forecasts India and South Asia’s cargo freighter fleet, including new and converted models, will grow five-fold as the region expands its role in global supply chains, advanced manufacturing, and e-commerce.

Indian and South Asian airlines are likely to add 2,835 new commercial aircraft to their fleet over the next 20 years to meet the ever-increasing demand for air travel, according to US planemaker Boeing.

In its Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) announced on Thursday, Boeing expects demand for 2,835 new aeroplanes over the next two decades, propelled by India's robust economy and rapidly growing domestic market. This will support the region’s annual traffic growth of more than 7 percent.

"Boeing forecasts India and South Asia’s commercial airplane fleet will grow nearly four-fold over the next 20 years, building on sustained fleet growth throughout the last decade," according to Boeing’s current Commercial Market Outlook (CMO). Continued growth will be fueled by greater demand and a rise in the region’s air traffic, which will grow more than 7 percent annually through 2043. This growth will be driven by sustained economic growth, improved connectivity, and policies that support air travel liberalization.

Domestic air traffic is expected to remain the largest and fastest-growing segment in India’s travel market. This projected traffic growth will be enabled by further low-cost carrier expansion and network diversification, as airlines offer more routes and destinations throughout the region.

"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," said Ashwin Naidu, Boeing Managing Director of Commercial Marketing for India and South Asia.

Citing the CMO, he said people will have greater access to air travel, and the region’s airlines will require a modern, fuel-efficient fleet to meet increased demand over the next two decades. Fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes, such as the 737 MAX, will account for nearly nine out of 10 commercial jet deliveries in the forecast period, providing airlines with greater network flexibility and better economics on fast-growing short- and medium-haul routes, according to the CMO.

The region’s widebody fleet will quadruple as carriers leverage airplanes like the 787 Dreamliner and 777X to further develop long-haul networks, particularly from India to North America, where capacity has doubled in the past decade, it said.

Giving more details on commercial airplane deliveries to India and South Asia (2024-2043), the CMO projected single-aisle aircraft at 2,445 and widebody aircraft at 370.

The CMO also forecasts India and South Asia’s cargo freighter fleet, including new and converted models, will grow five-fold as the region expands its role in global supply chains, advanced manufacturing, and e-commerce. Demand for pilots, cabin crew, and technicians will quadruple to 129,000 along with commercial airplane fleet expansion—representing the fastest growth rate of any region globally.