India has ordered 37 Dreamliners

[sonicboom]

India has ordered 37 Dreamliners
TNN, Feb 9, 2011, 03.29am IST


Read more: India has ordered 37 Dreamliners - The Times of India India has ordered 37 Dreamliners - The Times of India

BANGALORE: Boeing said it has a robust order book of 107 commercial planes in India. Out of this, 37 is for the 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The company did not specify the delivery timeline for the aircraft. However, the company will deliver the first of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Air India this year and the date of delivery will be formally announced at the Aero India show that begins in Bangalore on Wednesday. A miffed Air India had slapped a fine of $850 million for delay in the delivery.

The company is betting big on India's defence market, estimated at $31 billion over the next ten years. "Fighter and attack aircraft, missiles and maritime patrol are a big component of this addressable market," Boeing India president Dinesh Keskar said. In addition to offering the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as part of the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) offering, Boeing is exploring opportunities to bring C-17 Globemaster III, Apache, Chinook and P-81 to India.

The Seattle-based company predicts 15% annual passenger growth in the country over the next 5 years. "Indian air carriers turning profitable, growth of tier 2 and 3 airports and India becoming a key military spender are the growth drivers," Keskar said. But he raised concerns about spiralling fuel prices and inflation that could be a dampener. "If the fuel price goes up to $110, we are going to have a situation where airlines will have to increase prices. If prices go up, the growth may come down from 15% to 12%," Keskar added.


Read more: India has ordered 37 Dreamliners - The Times of India India has ordered 37 Dreamliners - The Times of India