Industry
Forecast
Boeing Says a 4-Fold Increase in Fleet over the Next 20 Years expected for India
l Boeing forecasts more than 2,200 new jets valued at nearly $320 billion over the next 20 years l Boeing
also predicts that the country’s passenger traffic will double by 2030 and l India's civil aviation industry will require nearly 90,000 new pilots, technicians and cabin crew personnel during the next 20 years
by Rohit Goel
PHOTOGRAPHs: Boeing
Boeing 737 Max: Single-aisle airplanes will continue to serve growth in domestic as well as regional markets
B
oeing forecasts strong aviation growth in India due to the country’s growing economy and an expanding middle class, fueling demand for more than 2,200 new jets valued at nearly $320 billion over the next 20 years. With greater demand for domestic, regional and long-haul travel, Boeing anticipates India’s commercial fleet to grow four-fold by 2039. Also, while COVID-19
remains a near-term challenge, the country’s passenger traffic is forecast to outpace global growth, doubling from pre-pandemic levels by 2030. Although the COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced Indian air travel last year with 2020 year-end figures nearly 2015 levels, the country’s domestic passenger traffic is recovering more rapidly than in most other countries and regions, recently reaching 76 per SP’S AIRBUZ • Issue 3 • 2021
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