Boeing forecasts India and South Asia’s commercial airplane fleet will grow nearly four-fold over the next 20 years building on sustained fleet growth throughout the last decade. Continued growth will be fuelled by greater demand and a rise in the region’s air traffic, which will grow more than 7 percent annually through 2043 driven by sustained economic growth, improved connectivity and policies that support air travel liberalisation, according to Boeing’s current Commercial Market Outlook (CMO).
| Commercial airplane deliveries to India and South Asia (2024-2043) | |
| Regional Jet | <10 |
| Single Aisle | 2,445 |
| Widebody | 370 |
| Freighter | 20 |
| Total | 2,835 |
Domestic air traffic is expected to remain the largest and fastest-growing segment in India’s travel market, according to the CMO. This projected traffic growth will be enabled by further low-cost carrier expansion and network diversification as airlines offer more routes and destinations throughout the region.
Fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes, such as the 737 MAX, will account for nearly nine out of 10 commercial jet deliveries in the forecast period, providing airlines with greater network flexibility and better economics on fast-growing short- and medium-haul routes. The region’s widebody fleet will quadruple as carriers leverage airplanes like the 787 Dreamliner and 777X to further develop long-haul networks, particularly from India to North America, where capacity has doubled in the past decade.
“The India and South Asia region continues to be the world’s fastest-growing commercial aviation market due to strong economic and trade growth, rising household incomes and investments in infrastructure and development,” said Ashwin Naidu, Boeing managing director of Commercial Marketing for India and South Asia. “As our CMO shows, people will have greater access to air travel, and the region’s airlines will require a modern fuel-efficient fleet to meet increased demand over the next two decades.”
The CMO also forecasts India and South Asia’s cargo freighter fleet, including new and converted models, will grow five-fold as the region expands its role in global supply chains, advanced manufacturing and e-commerce.
Demand for pilots, cabin crew and technicians will quadruple to 129,000 along with commercial airplane fleet expansion ─ representing the fastest growth rate of any region globally.
Boeing will be meeting demand by 2030, predicts wet lessor
Boeing will be meeting delivery demand for its commercial aircraft by 2030, predicts Gediminas Ziemelis, the chairman and founder of the world’s largest ACMI and wet-lease provider, Avia Solutions Group.
Ziemelis made the comments after visiting Boeing’s facilities in Seattle for a ceremonial signing with Boeing Commercial Airplane’s CEO, Stephanie Pope, for Dublin-based Avia Solution Group’s order for up to 80 737 MAX 8, placed in November last year. The order is split between 40 firm aircraft and 40 options.
Both Airbus and Boeing have encountered significant supply chain disruptions since the pandemic, hindering their ability to build on their 2018 delivery records. Boeing delivered 348 jets in 2024, leaving it with a total backlog of over 5,500 unfilled orders. Airbus managed to deliver 776 aircraft in 2024, four below its official target.
However, Ziemelis reckons Boeing will have successfully overcome its production issues within the next five years.
“I’ve seen first-hand as a customer that Boeing is turning the corner on its production issues. I anticipate a gradual return to 2018 production levels from both Airbus and Boeing as we progress through the rest of the decade. This year, and perhaps 2026, will be the last years when the industry will experience any real impact from missed deliveries. By 2030, I expect both manufacturers, to have resumed normal operations,” says Gediminas Ziemelis, chairman of Avia Solutions Group.
“The more vocal critics of Airbus and Boeing are likely being opportunistic, seeking to leverage current challenges for better deals. When we placed our inaugural direct order with Boeing last year, we did so based on our confidence in the aircraft and the company. This conviction remains unwavering.”
The new Boeing deal solidifies the Group’s connection to the US market. In 2021, Certares Management, a U.S. investment management firm focusing on the travel and tourism sector, together with Knighthead Capital Management, an investment advisory firm, invested EUR 300 million in the Group. The chairman, Gediminas Ziemelis, also recently participated in the inauguration ceremony of the 47th President of the USA, Donald Trump, in Washington.
Dublin-based Avia Solutions Group is a leading global provider of aviation services to the world’s leading passenger and cargo airlines. The Group has offices in Ireland, the USA, the United Arab Emirates, Lithuania, Australia, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.
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