New Delhi: Aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Wednesday forecasted India's domestic air traffic demand to return to normalcy by the second half of 2022 and expected it to double its size by 2030 from the pre-pandemic level.
According to David Schulte, managing director of Regional Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, despite the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, the air traffic level will go back to the levels of 2019 by the second half of 2022 and international traffic is forecast to follow global growth, doubling from pre-pandemic levels, by 2030.
Boeing estimates to deliver 2,230 new aircraft to India by 2040. Schulte said 1,960 of the deliveries will be single-aisle aircraft while 260 will be wide-bodied planes.
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The US aircraft manufacturer said with a growing number of women choosing to pursue aviation careers, India's civil aviation industry will require nearly 90,000 new pilots, technicians, and cabin crew personnel during the 20-year forecast period.
The 737 Max aircraft, which were grounded in 2019 after two tragedies, have now been allowed by several countries to be flown again while India's aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is yet to give its permission.
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Speaking on the development, Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India, said the company has provided all information required by the DGCA, and the country's aviation regulator is also in discussions with US regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
According to Boeing, there are 20 airlines that are operating 182 '737 Max' aircraft globally. In India, these aircraft are used by SpiceJet and Air India Express.
