Boeing expects more orders from India as airlines boost capacity

Boeing expects more orders for its planes from Indian airlines as they boost their capacity to keep pace with rising demand in the world's fastest-growing major aviation market, an executive said on Thursday. Airlines in India are expected to increase their capacity by at least 25% over the next year as post-pandemic air travel demand rebounds quickly, and long-term growth to settle at 7% annually, outpacing other top high-growth markets, Boeing said. The planemaker expects South Asian airlines to order a total of 2,345 aircraft over the next 20 years. "I certainly expect more widebody orders and I expect more narrowbody orders from India," Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India told reporters in New Delhi. Indian skies are dominated by low-cost carriers including IndiGo, SpiceJet and AirAsia India, with the majority of them operating Airbus narrowbody planes. Boeing however dominates the country's widebody market where fare wars and high costs have led to casualties among full-service carriers, including Kingfisher Airlines in 2012 and Jet Airways in 2019. India's newest budget carrier Akasa Air, Tata Sons-owned Air India and the Jalan-Kalrock consortium at Jet Airways are giving Boeing hope of clawing back share in the market, with new and potential orders for more planes.<br/>