US-based aerospace company and manufacturer of jetliners and military aircraft, Boeing Company, today said that it is in talks with Paramount Airways for supply of its ambitious 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Boeing has already got orders from Air India for delivery of 27 Dreamliners and 10 from Jet Airways.
Paramount, which currently uses Embraer for its domestic services, is looking at B-787 Dreamliner and A-350 for its international operations.
According to Dinesh A Keskar, president, Boeing India, the company is well on course to deliver the above orders to Indian airline companies and during the second quarter of 2010 it will deliver its first aircraft to Air India and the remaining 26 during the subsequent three to four years. Its first delivery to Jet Airways will happen from 2013, he said.
Speaking to Business Standard on the sidelines of Aero India 2009, here today, Keskar said Boeing is bullish on growth opportunities in India despite economic slowdown and drop in the air traffic for all the airlines.
"We are expecting the upturn to happen in the Indian aviation market during the fourth quarter of the current calender year 2009 and we look forward to growing our sales in the country. Our immediate focus is to deliver the orders taken in the last three years," he said.
Keskar, who was appointed head of Boeing in India on Tuesday, said the company will deliver 18 aircraft during the year 2009 to Indian airlines, of which seven Boeing 777s are being delivered to Air India and one to Jet Airways and the remaining 10 will be 737s being delivered to Air India, JetLite and SpiceJet, he said. In 2008, the company delivered 17 aircraft to Indian carriers.
He, however, said the company has not booked any new orders nor any cancellations during the current year so far.
"Due to high fuel costs last year and current economic slowdown, airlines have slowed down their expansion plans and are facing decline in their sales. The situation is likely to improve in the next few quarters as the airlines are taking right steps like recent hike in ticket prices to improve their performance.”
“The fuel prices also have crashed and we expect the situation to improve during the latter part of the year," he noted.
India requires 1,001 airplanes worth $105 billion in the next 20 years and Boeing is looking at grabbing a sizeable portion of this new business, Keskar added.
