- India's domestic air travel growth forecast raised to 9.3% by Airbus from 8.9%
- India expected to need 3,480 new passenger aircraft over the next two decades
- Asia-Pacific to require about 45% of the global 42,000 new aircraft demand
Airbus has raised its forecast for India's domestic air travel growth to 9.3%, up from 8.9%, cementing the country's position as the fastest-growing aviation market in the Asia-Pacific region.
The European aircraft maker said it had seen no let-up in demand or deliveries despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and supply-chain disruptions, Reuters reported, citing the planemaker's latest 2026-2045 market outlook.
Anand Stanley, president of Airbus Asia-Pacific, said demand remained robust, with airlines continuing to take deliveries readily, at a briefing in Hong Kong on Tuesday, according to the news agency.
India is projected to need 3,480 new passenger aircraft over the next two decades, the report said. Airbus expects the wider Asia-Pacific region to account for roughly 45% of the approximately 42,000 new aircraft required globally over that period.
China, still Airbus's largest market for commercial jets, is reportedly expected to need 8,830 new passenger aircraft, while the rest of Asia-Pacific will require a further 6,880.
The updated forecast widens the gap between India and China's projected growth trajectories.
Airbus lifted India's domestic traffic growth outlook to 9.3% from 8.9%, while trimming its forecast for China to 4.7% from 5.4%.
Francois Cabaret, Airbus's head of global market forecasting, said Chinese carriers also face a substantial need to renew their fleets.
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Deliveries to Chinese airlines had run at around 400 aircraft a year before the Covid-19 pandemic, but combined deliveries from Airbus, Boeing and Chinese manufacturer COMAC have since fallen to under half that level, Cabaret said, per Reuters.
Airbus said aircraft demand and deliveries have stayed resilient despite the broader headwinds. Stanley added that the company was witnessing strong demand alongside rising deliveries across the board, including in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East markets.
The forecast comes as airlines across Asia-Pacific gear up for sustained growth in air travel, with India cementing its status as the region's fastest-expanding market and set to account for a significant share of global aircraft demand over the next two decades.
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