The Hindu Business Line : Airbus expects next wave of orders in 2011-12

New Delhi, Sept 2 The European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, expects the next wave of aircraft orders from airlines of India after 2011-12 as they seek to capture a greater share of the international market and freighter market grows, a senior official said on Tuesday.

“As Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines look to compete in the international arena there is likely to be need for more aircraft. We expect that the next big wave of orders will come in 2011-12 by when these airlines will have completed the delivery of the aircraft already ordered. The airlines will need aircraft to continue on the growth path that they have embarked on. Besides, there will also be need for freighter aircraft,” Dr Kiran Rao, Executive Vice- President, Sales and Marketing, Airbus, said.

Both Boeing and Airbus have already made presentation to the state-owned Air India for delivery of more aircraft to the airline so that it can meet future passenger demand.

The airline has ordered more than 111 brand new aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus which have already started arriving. In addition, almost all the private sector airlines including Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines have ordered several new aircraft from both the manufacturers and are keen to order more.

Refusing to be drawn into specific numbers on aircraft deliveries, Dr Rao pointed out that both Boeing and Airbus had predicted that India will require about 1,000 aircraft over the next 20 years. “Airbus and Boeing together have already delivered about 500 aircraft. My guess is that about 250 aircraft will be required in the next wave of deliveries while another wave of deliveries of about the same number will see the domestic airline industry touch 1,000 aircraft deliveries over the next 20 years,” he said.

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