Indian carriers will require 1,290 new passenger aircraft valued at US$190 billion (136.4 billion euros) between now and 2032 to satisfy surging annual demand, according to Airbus’ market forecast.
Of the requirement for 1,290 new aircraft, some 73 percent will be for growth and 27 percent for replacement. The new passenger aircraft include 913 single aisles such as the A320, 322 twin aisles such as the A330 and 56 very large aircraft such as the A380.
By 2032, today’s fleet of 343 aircraft will more than triple to some 1,233 aircraft.
Airbus forecasts that 36 percent of India’s fleet will be wide-bodies by 2032, more than doubling today’s level. This is a result of increased capacity of international as well as domestic routes with larger aircraft.
“By 2032, the number Indian cities with more than a million passengers every month will have grown to 13 from today’s two. This exponential growth will continue to drive the need for larger aircraft like the A380 to operate in the country.” said Kiran Rao, Airbus executive vice president strategy and marketing. “As the people of India fly more and the number of first time flyers increases, demand for the latest generations of aircraft will also increase making India one of the largest and most dynamic markets in the world.”