India will need 1,150 aircraft

With India emerging as one of the fastest growing aviation markets globally post-slowdown, US aircraft major Boeing on Tuesday upped its latest 20-year aircraft requirement forecast for the country. Boeing India head Dinesh Keskar said India would require 1,150 commercial aircraft worth $130 billion over next two decades. From last year’s 20-year current market outlook, this is an upward revision of 150 aircraft (50 B737s and 100 twin aisles) worth $30 billion. Boeing also added that it would pay compensation to Air India for the huge delay in deliver of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. “We are in talks with them and all other airlines whose deliveries have been delayed due to the delay in 787 programme. AI’s first Dreamliner is in assembly now and we expect it to be delivered to them at the end of first quarter or early Q2 of 2011,” he said.
According to Boeing, domestic air traffic (in terms of weekly departures) grew by 43% from 1990 to 2000. whereas it shot up by 207% in the decade 2000-2010.