|
Newstrack
Boeing set to rule the Indian airspace
Andrea Lopez - Mumbai
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing recently announced its annual Current Market outlook
(CMO) for India, projecting the country's need for 911 new commercial airplanes
worth more than USD 86 billion in the next 20 years.
"India is the 10th largest economy in the world and its purchasing power
parity is the fourth largest in the world. In view of this, the country has
been pegged to sustain a 20 per cent growth in the aviation sector in the next
one year," said Dr. Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president (Sales), Boeing
Commercial Airplanes. "The growth in the number of passengers needs to
be matched with a supply of airplanes, " he added.
Air India's order for 68 Boeing jetliners in 2005 was the largest commercial
aircraft order in India's history. Boeing has received similar orders from Jet
Airways (30), SpiceJet (30), Air Sahara (10) and Indian Air Force (3) slated
for delivery upto 2025. The month of July itself saw Boeing make eight flight
deliveries to Air India (777-200LRs), Jet Airways (777-300ERs), SpiceJet (737-800Ws)
and Air India Express (737-800Ws). SpiceJet is the first Indian airline to place
an order for the Boeing 727-900ER, the latest member of the 737 family and expects
delivery later this year. Boeing's 2006 CMO projected a need for 120 twin aisle
aircrafts offering a 250-300 seating capacity. The 2007 CMO has increased this
figure to 173. Keskar pointed out that the trend was now to travel point-to-point
versus hub-to-hub, reiterating the need to invest in better aircrafts designed
to fly long haul.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, rolled out in Seattle on 8th July is all set to make
its debut in the Indian air space in 2008. Air India will be the first Indian
airline to receive the aircraft in September 2008, with Jet Airways being the
second. Says Keskar, "The 787 will be 20 per cent more fuel efficient and
register a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions. There will also be a considerable
reduction in noise during take-off and landing." The interiors of the aircraft
will offer passengers wider seats and more refined in-flight entertainment.
"The pace of orders has been unprecedented and we are more than pleased
with our position in the Indian market," opined Keskar. Addressing the
issue of the shortage of pilots in the country as well as poor airport infrastructure,
Keskar said, "The Mumbai and Delhi airports are doing a good refurbishing
job, now the concern is to look at secondary airports so that the number of
landings per hour can be increased."
The setting up of Boeing's MRO facility in Nagpur in 2006 to service the maintenance
requirements of all Boeing aircrafts in the country expects to commence operations
in 2009 and will be an ideal move keeping in mind the large scale orders the
company has been faced with.
|
