India's top airlines to add 240 planes in 2 years
What's the story
India's leading airlines, IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air, are set to expand their fleets by a whopping 240 aircraft over the next two years. This would be a growth of nearly 30% for these carriers. Currently, they have a combined fleet of 804 planes which is expected to increase to around 1,044 by the end of 2027.
Delivery details
Airbus and Boeing to deliver 80% of new aircraft
The new planes will be delivered by Airbus and Boeing, with the two companies expected to provide 80% of them. This comes as a relief for Indian airlines that have been facing delays and slowdowns in their route expansion plans. Jurgen Westermeier, President and MD-India & South Asia at Airbus, said India is their fastest-growing market even faster than China.
Future plans
Airbus's delivery backlog and future projections
Airbus has a 10-year delivery backlog of 1,250 aircraft in India, mostly from IndiGo and Air India. In 2025, all of the 55 aircraft delivered by Airbus in India were for IndiGo. The company expects peak deliveries to reach up to 150 a year around 2032. Meanwhile, Boeing is targeting at least 25 deliveries to India in 2026 after expanding its US facilities.
Order details
Air India Group's aircraft orders and deliveries
The Air India Group, which includes full-service carrier Air India and no-frills airline Air India Express, has ordered 190 Boeing jets (both narrow and wide-body). Earlier this year, the group took delivery of a Dreamliner (wide-body) while Air India Express received a narrow-body. Akasa, India's youngest airline and third-largest player in the sector, has an outstanding order of 194 jets from Boeing.