Wings India: India will need 2,500 new aircraft by 2042, Boeing says - fleet size will have to be quadrupled

The top aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, has stated that India will require more than 2,500 aircraft by 2042 due to the country's growing air passenger population, following Airbus in 2024. According to Boeing Vice President of Commercial Marketing Darren Hulst, South Asian carriers are expected to double the size of their fleets over the next 20 years to fulfil the increased demand. They will require over 2,705 new aircraft to do this.

Over 92% of these, or around 2,500 aircraft, will be needed by Indian airlines alone by 2042. Long-haul aircraft will require approximately 400 wide-body aircraft and more than 2,300 single-aisle aircraft.

According to Boeing, India is the only major economy in South Asia that has reached pre-Corona demand levels in both domestic and international categories. This reflects the importance of air travel in the market and the strength of the Indian economy. He said it is expected that India's freighter fleet will have 80 aircraft in the next 20 years. Currently, there are 15 cargo aircraft.