Air India to get first 787 Dreamliners by year end
By IANSWednesday, February 9, 2011
BANGALORE - US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s Indian subsidiary Wednesday said the long-awaited delivery of Air India’s maiden batch of 787 ‘Dreamliner’ aircraft will be made in the fourth quarter of the calendar year 2011.
Indias expanding aviation industry is among the fastest growing in the world and Boeing will continue its efforts to closely partner Indian carriers in optimising their growth and competitive advantage, Boeing India’s president Dinesh Keskar said at the Aero India air show held near here.
According to him, the technologically-advanced and fuel efficient 787s would be a game changer in the Indian aviation sector and will give the company’s customers a cost advantage.
Earlier in November last year, the company had said that the first deliveries of the Dreamliner aircraft to Air India would be made by the second quarter of 2011.
The national carrier has ordered 27 B-787 Dreamliners which are expected to be deployed on non-stop, long-haul flights to sectors like India-US.
The 200 to 300-seat aircraft is made of composite materials and a new engine and advannced flight technologies make it highly fuel-efficient.
The plane can carry passengers non-stop on distances between 6,500 km and 16,000 km.
The company expects that with 15 percent growth in passenger traffic, increase in operating profits of airlines would translate into more orders.
Boeings 20-year outlook of 2010 said that the Indian aviation sector would require 1,150 commercial jets, valued at approximately $130 billion.
