India’s commercial aircraft fleet is set to nearly triple to about 2,250 planes over the next decade, as the country emerges as the world’s third-largest civil aviation market by 2035, according to aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of Wings India 2026, Jürgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, said the sharp expansion in fleet size will be driven by both the rapid growth of the domestic aviation market and Indian airlines’ ambitions to scale up their international operations.
“India’s commercial aircraft fleet will triple in size to 2,250 aircraft over the next decade,” Westermeier said, adding that passenger traffic in the country is projected to grow at 8.9 per cent annually by 2035 — the fastest pace among major economies and well above the long-term global average.
He noted that the strong demand outlook reflects rising incomes, greater air connectivity and the growing role of Indian carriers on global routes, positioning India as a key aviation growth engine over the coming years.
Boeing projects 3,300 new aircraft demand by 2044
US aircraft maker Boeing, meanwhile, said airlines in India and South Asia will require nearly 3,300 new airplanes by 2044 to meet rising air traffic demand.
Presenting Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) for South Asia on the sidelines of the four-day Wings India 2026 aviation summit, Boeing Managing Director of Commercial Marketing for Eurasia and the Indian Subcontinent Ashwin Naidu said, “India is a growth market and the country will add more planes.”
According to Naidu, India is the fastest-growing region, with the fleet expected to quadruple over the next 20 years.
As per Boeing’s CMO, single-aisle or narrow-body aircraft will dominate future deliveries, accounting for nearly 90 per cent, or about 2,875 planes, while wide-body aircraft will number around 395. “India and South Asia's passenger air traffic will rise an average of 7 per cent annually over the next 20 years, spurred by a growing middle class, economic growth and airport and connectivity investments,” Boeing said.
“Accounting for growth and replacement, the Indian and South Asian region's fleet will grow from 795 to 2,925 airplanes in two decades, a nearly fourfold increase over that time,” it added.
Boeing also projected significant expansion in long-haul operations, noting that Indian and South Asian airlines are expected to diversify their international networks as India develops into a major hub for global passenger and cargo traffic. “The South Asia region's widebody fleet will more than triple by 2044 as carriers enable millions of Indian and South Asian passengers to travel to international markets including the Middle East, Europe and North America,” the company said.
Beyond aircraft, Boeing highlighted the scale of ecosystem investments required, estimating more than USD 195 billion in aviation services such as maintenance, repair and overhaul, digital services and training over the next two decades. The region will also need around 45,000 pilots, 45,000 technicians and 51,000 cabin crew during this period.
On cargo, Boeing said growth in high-tech manufacturing and e-commerce will drive demand for freighters. “The South Asia region's fleet of new and converted freighters is expected to grow five times its current size over the next two decades to support rising air cargo demand,” it said.