After Air India’s Historic Order, Indian Carriers Planning To Order 1,200 Aircraft: Report
Other Indian airlines intend to acquire around 1,200 more aircraft in the next 24 months following Air India’s landmark deal of 840 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.
The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation India (CAPA India) estimates that Indian carriers would order an additional 1,000 to 1,200 aircraft, with another sizable order from IndiGo likely to be the first.
Given that the order books for the majority of incumbent carriers could be viewed as conservative in comparison to the growth potential of the market over the next decade and beyond, almost every carrier in India is expected to order more aircraft in the next couple of years, for fleet replacement as well as growth.
Prior to COVID-19, IndiGo had intended to place a sizable order of about 300 aircraft, but the pandemic forced them to postpone their plans. According to the CAPA study, this is now likely to move forward and may end up being even bigger than originally planned, growing to over 500 aircraft.
In recent months, there have been numerous instances of aircraft deliveries being postponed even when the airframe and engines were both ready to go. By the conclusion of FY2024, it is anticipated that these cases will become less common (2023-2024).
However, the survey stated both aircraft and engine Makers still face a sizable backlog of orders that might take years to clear, even once supply-side issues are overcome. At the end of 2022, there were 12,669 orders from Airbus and Boeing combined. According to the report CAPA released on Friday, delivery slots are extremely difficult to come by for at least the upcoming couple of years, and for thin bodies, the situation is apparently tight until 2029.
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