Outlook for Widebody Aircraft in India

25 April 2024 | 4:00 PM IST

India’s international market has been capacity-starved for decades, a situation that has been particularly acute in the long and ultra-long haul segments, which in 2019 accounted for around 33% of total international traffic. Passengers travelling on such routes had limited non-stop options available to them. The majority were forced to travel indirect via foreign hubs. On long haul routes, sixth freedom carriers had a 64% market share, rising to 80% on ultra-long haul routes.

The limited long haul options are reflected in the profile of India’s fleet. All Indian carriers combined operate only around 65 widebodies (and back in 2019 this stood at less than 50), or just over 8% of the fleet. In contrast, Emirates alone has over 250 widebodies.

The order placed by Air India last year for 70 widebodies marks the beginning of a much-needed focus on widebody equipment by Indian carriers. But will this alone be sufficient to meet India’s requirements through to 2030? Join us for our next research briefing to find out in detail.