Airline operators in India and other South Asian countries are expected to require nearly 3,300 new aircraft by the year 2044, amid the rising demand for air travel, reported the news agency PTI, citing US-based aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing on Wednesday, 28 January 2026.
“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,” said Boeing, cited in the agency report.
In its recent Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) for South Asia report, Boeing said that the airline companies in the region will also need nearly 45,000 pilots, 45,000 technicians, and 51,000 cabin crew over the next 20 years.
According to the agency report citing the aircraft manufacturer, narrow-body aircraft will account for nearly 90% of the projected deliveries at 2,875, while wide-body aircraft will be at 395.
India’s rising air-travel market
Boeing’s Managing Director of Commercial Marketing, Eurasia and Indian Subcontinent, Ashwin Naidu, said that India is a growth market and the country will add more planes.
According to the agency report, India is the fastest-growing region, with the airline fleet expected to quadruple over the next two decades. Naidu presented the Commercial Market Outlook report on the sidelines of the four-day aviation summit Wings India 2026.
The report also mentioned that the demand for air travel means airlines will need nearly 3,300 new aeroplanes by 2044.
“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,” the report mentioned.
As per the CMO, Indian and South Asian airlines are also expected to expand and diversify their long-haul networks as India grows as a key hub for international 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,” said Boeing in its report cited by the news agency.
Investment in South Asia
Investments in the South Asian region will require more than $195 billion in aviation services, including maintenance, repair and modifications, digital services and training, according to the agency report citing the American aircraft manufacturing giant.
The report also mentioned that the air cargo market will be boosted by high-tech manufacturing growth in India and the increasing role of e-commerce, as they increase the need for more freighter aeroplanes.
“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,” Boeing said.
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