Airbus sees spurt in orders

New Delhi, Sept. 2: Aircraft manufacturing major Airbus Industries expects a big spurt in orders by 2012 when the Indian aviation industry stabilises after the current critical situation, a top official said on Tuesday.

Mr Kiran Rao, company’s executive vice-president for sales, marketing and customer affairs, also said that the government-owned Air India and private carriers Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines will create a niche in the global market due to their quality service in the next few years despite stiff international competition.

"After 2012, the next wave of orders can be expected. These will be huge orders. By that time, the existing airlines would sort out their problems, the infrastructure will be in place and the demand for air travel will continue to grow," Mr Rao said.

He said there has been no cancellation of orders or delayed deliveries from any Indian carrier, barring some staggering of deliveries due to the merger of Kingfisher Airlines and Air Deccan.

Most aircraft for which orders were placed in 2005-06 will be delivered by 2011-12, Mr Rao said. After the existing carriers stabilise their domestic and global markets, they will need to place orders for additional aircraft by 2012.

The demand will be more for narrow-body planes than wide-body ones which are generally used for long-haul international flights, Mr Rao said, adding the best year for Airbus in India was 2005 when a total of 229 aircraft orders were placed. Airbus and its US competitor Boeing have so far together delivered 500 aircraft to India. "I expect there will be two waves (first in 2011-12) when both of us together will deliver another 500 planes," Mr Rao said.

The European aircraft manufacturer now claims to control about 70 per cent of the market share of all commercial planes, delivering on an average one each week. — PTI