Boeing raises projected 20 year Indian demand for aircraft

Boeing has raised its 20-year forecast for demand of aircraft in India by 15 per cent as air travel is expected to increase in the world's second-most populous nation.

The Chicago-based company said in a statement that India would require 1,150 new commercial air planes worth $130 billion in the next 20 years. In July 2009, the company projected a demand for 1,000 planes worth about $100 billion over two decades.

Boeing and Airbus SAS, the two biggest aircraft makers in the world have boosted sales in India with the doubling in per capita incomes over the past five years and the start of discount carriers which makes air travel affordable to more Indians.

The nation's airline passenger numbers are set to rise to a record 50 million this year up from 44 million last year according to Boeing.

According to Dinesh Keskar, president of Boeing's local unit,''There is strength and resilience in the Indian commercial sector.''

''The potential for future growth of air travel, both domestically and internationally, is among the greatest in the world,'' he said in a statement.