Finance
Airbus expects Indian airlines to triple fleets over next decade
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 29, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 29, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 29, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 29, 2026
Airbus expects 2,250 jets in India by 2033, driven by economic growth and a rising middle class. Boeing offers a similar forecast.
By Shivansh Tiwary
HYDERABAD, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Airbus said on Thursday it expects Indian carriers to triple the size of their fleets to 2,250 jets over the next decade, riding resilient economic growth, an expanding middle class and a surge of first-time flyers.
In a similar outlook on Wednesday for India and South Asia, Boeing projected that airlines in the region, a key battleground for planemakers now dominated by Airbus, would require nearly 3,300 new aircraft by 2044.
The aerospace industry watches the planemakers' regional forecasts closely, as India is the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market after the United States and China, led by the two biggest carriers, IndiGo and Air India.
But India’s aviation sector is still at an early stage, with trips per capita amounting to 0.13, or far below comparable regions, said Jürgen Westermeier, Airbus president and managing director for India and South Asia.
This leaves substantial room for more Indians to adopt air travel, he added in a forecast issued on the second day of India’s biennial civil aviation air show.
"Some services in aerospace will now benefit from the reduction in tariffs after the India-EU trade agreement," Westermeier said, referring to this week's landmark deal.
The world’s fastest‑growing domestic aviation market, India has mirrored a global rush for large aircraft orders as carriers expand capacity, retire fuel‑hungry older jets and respond to booming travel demand after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indian carriers have placed some of the biggest jet orders in recent years, ordering at a scale intended to drive fleet growth, in contrast to mature markets primarily looking to replace older planes.
Airbus retained its title as the world’s largest planemaker last year despite headwinds brought by engine shortages, supply chain bottlenecks and tariff pressures.
(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Hyderabad; Writing by Kashish Tandon; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Clarence Fernandez)
Commercial aviation refers to the operation of aircraft for hire to transport passengers or cargo. It includes scheduled flights, charter services, and air freight.
Aircraft demand refers to the need for new aircraft by airlines, which is influenced by factors such as economic growth, passenger traffic, and fleet modernization.
The middle class is a socio-economic group that typically includes individuals and families with moderate income levels, often characterized by their ability to afford a comfortable standard of living.
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