“The Boeing 787 will enter and join Air India’s fleet with a very attractive interior and a number of technological features that will significantly enhance the passenger flying experience. The 787 will help airlines such as Air India augment and expand their network as opportunities present themselves,” says Keskar.

“The 787 has the range and capability to allow Air India to deploy the aircraft on many routes, including the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Australia. And all this will be at significantly lower operating costs,” he says.

Keskar also says that airlines in India are improving their financial performance due to increased yields and improved capacity management, although slowing gross domestic product growth, fuel prices and a weak rupee could affect profitability and growth in the near term.

“When you look at the market, despite some of the challenges, India will continue to have one of the strongest, most vibrant aviation markets in the world,” says Keskar.

Globally, Boeing projects a $4.5 trillion market for 34,000 airplanes over the next 20 years, driven by an increase in deliveries from India, China and other emerging markets. That forecast represents traffic growing at a 5% annual rate over the next 20 years, and the world fleet is expected to double by 2031.

777 photo: Boeing