Aircraft manufacturer Boeing today said they continue to be bullish on India and the Asia-Pacific region despite the general slowdown witnessed in the aviation sector and difficulties faced by some carriers.
Commanding a pretty robust order book, including 27, 787 Dreamliners from Air India, 10 from Jet Airways, and more than 30, 737 aircraft from Spice Jet and 43 for Jet Airways, the Indian market will do well in the long run as the economy grows by over 7-8 per cent per annum, Dr Dinesh Keskar, President, Boeing India, said.
Addressing a press conference here today at the Indian Aviation 2012, Dr Keskar said the first Dreamliner for Air India was flown to Hyderabad from Seattle on Tuesday and deliveries of other would soon follow.
Asked about Air India seeking compensation from Boeing for delays, Dr Keskar said this was a matter between two parties and it would not be appropriate to comment at a public forum.
The Asia-Pacific region is fast becoming a profitable business for air carriers and a growing market for aircraft makers. We will be commissioning our MRO facility near Nagpur before the planned deadline of December 2012, he said.
“With aviation turbine fuel costs going up and carriers finding the going tough, a price rise of about 14-15 per cent would help improve the country's aviation sector, which is bleeding due to mismatch in costs and revenues,” he said.