Flight path 2025: What lies ahead for Indian carriers

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The year 2024 saw India’s aviation industry grow on the back of American aircraft manufacturer Boeing's white tail planes - those that are built without any pre-existing customer. However, the new year is likely to see slower deliveries of Boeing aircraft, leading to Indian airlines inducting fewer planes than they did in 2024.

Still, India's largest air carrier IndiGo could add to its fleet in the Indian skies if it's able to get some of its grounded planes airworthy with the availability of engines. According to media reports, Indian carriers were expected to induct around 150 aircraft in 2024. Data shared by Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, showed Indian airlines have already taken delivery of 97 commercial aircraft so far in 2024, with ten scheduled deliveries in the remaining days of December.

By contrast, Cirium’s fleet data indicates Indian airlines expect to add 86 new commercial aircraft in 2025. In 2024, deliveries by two main global manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, were affected due to global supply chain challenges, precipitated by geopolitical tensions. However, deliveries by Airbus to Air India group and IndiGo remained in line with expectations.

But deliveries by Boeing were affected by the weeks-long workers' strike at its manufacturing facility in the US. As per data available on Boeing's website, the American firm delivered only 30 B-737 MAX aircraft to Air India group and Akasa. Also read | On a Boeing 737 Max and a prayer: How Akasa Air’s Vinay Dube is taking on the IndiGo-Air India duopoly In 2025, Indian air carriers will not be able to induct white tail aircraft.