Airlines in South Asia including BD to induct over 2,800 aircraft by 2043

Dhaka : Airlines in South Asia including Bangla-desh will be adding 2,835 commercial aircraft to their fleet by 2043, marking a four-fold increase from the current capacity, said the American planemaker Boeing in its commercial market outlook released on February 6.

Of them, India alone will be accounting lion's share-over 90 per cent-of the orders, while the rest will go to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan, and other countries in the region.

Boeing expects air travel demand in the region to surge, with air traffic forecast to grow at an annual rate of over 7.9 per cent through 2043.

On the development, Ashwin Naidu, Managing Director of Commercial Marketing for India and South Asia, Boeing, said, "The India and South Asia region continues to be the world's fastest-growing commercial aviation market due to strong economic and trade growth, rising household incomes and investments in infrastructure and development."

Boeing forecast that the region's carriers will take delivery of 2,445 single-aisle planes, which will occupy around 90 per cent of the deliveries, while widebody fleets will grow significantly with 370 new aircraft.

However, airlines globally are struggling to acquire aircraft on time due to supply chain issues leading to production pressure at Boeing and its European counterpart Airbus.