Airbus expects to deliver over 1,200 aircraft to India in next decade, strengthens MRO capabilities

Airbus anticipates delivering over 1,200 aircraft to India within the next ten years. This significant order will support the nation's expanding aviation sector and its growth. The company is enhancing its maintenance and repair capabilities within India. A new radome repair facility is being established in Nagpur for South Asia. These developments aim to improve aircraft turnaround times and local aviation ecosystem.

New Delhi: Airbus expects to deliver, on average, more than two aircraft a week to India over the next 10 years, with the company having a backlog of more than 1,200 aircraft, Jurgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, said on Thursday in an exclusive conversation with ANI.

Westermeier said Airbus is already playing a major role in India's growing aviation sector, with more than 500 of the nearly 800 aircraft currently flying in India being from Airbus.

"We already are very proud that today, of the 800 aircraft which are flying in India, more than 500 are from Airbus," Westermeier told ANI.

He said Airbus has a backlog of more than 1,200 aircraft with India, which would translate into an average of around 120 aircraft a year over the next 10 years.

"So you see we are really supporting the growth and we have a backlog with India of more than 1200 aircraft, which is a big number...And this means in the next 10 years, you just do the maths, 1200 divided by 10 is 120, so more than two aircraft per week which Airbus will deliver to India," Westermeier added.

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Westermeier also responded to a question on the Air India flight AI2379 incident. The Airbus A320, operating from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, experienced a sudden 300-foot altitude drop over Odisha, leaving 20 passengers and four cabin crew members injured. The aircraft subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi.

"There are official processes to follow up with incidents like this, and the official process is fully followed to make sure that the best outcome is ensured," Westermeier said.

The Airbus executive also highlighted the company's efforts to strengthen its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities in India as the number of aircraft operating in the country grows.

Airbus has selected Indamer Technics to set up South Asia's first comprehensive radome repair facility in Nagpur. Under the service agreement, Indamer Technics has been designated as an authorised facility for the repair, storage and exchange of Airbus A320, A330, A350 and A380 aircraft radomes in the region.

Westermeier said establishing these capabilities in India would help develop the local aviation ecosystem and benefit airlines through quicker turnaround times.

"We are now in the process of establishing these critical capabilities in India. This will help grow the ecosystem, and this will also help our airline customers that they have quicker turnaround times," he said.

He added that quicker turnaround times would allow aircraft to fly more and provide more services to customers.

The collaboration is also aimed at developing a localised Airbus avionics repair network across South Asia. The facility is expected to support customer operations ahead of upcoming widebody aircraft inductions while optimising single-aisle maintenance across the region.