Indian airlines may see fewer aircraft joining their fleets in the year ahead

The revival of the grounded fleet, which is around 90 in India, is an important area to focus on in 2025, experts say

- Daanish Anand

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 10 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.