New Delhi, Nov 3 Betting big on the “very important” Indian market, Airbus will increase its sourcing of components and services from the country as well as work towards boosting the country’s aviation ecosystem.
Airbus President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia Jürgen Westermeier on Tuesday said around 15 per cent of its annual production is targeted at India.
Nearly 600 Airbus commercial planes are in operation in the country and the domestic airlines have around 1,200 Airbus aircraft on order.
At present, Airbus procures components and services worth USD 1.6 billion annually from India and it is expected to rise to USD 2 billion before 2030.
The company is moving up the value chain, transitioning from detailed parts to complex aerostructure assemblies and advanced digital avionics to design and development in India, according to Westermeier, who said India is a “very important market”.
Besides, Airbus is focusing on raw material sourcing such as processed titanium, aluminum alloys and composites.
Noting that growth and ecosystem development are two sides of the same coin, Westermeier emphasised the need for quickly upgrading the aviation industry’s operating model that includes scaling up the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) infrastructure domestically.
Speaking at the Aviation India and South Asia 2026 conference in the national capital, Westermeier also mentioned about bridging the skill gap to ensure that growth is never constrained by a shortage of trained pilots, engineers or certified aircraft technicians.
Airbus has invested in multiple pilot training centres in India, which have an installed capacity of 14 Full Flight Simulators, including for wide-body aircraft.
India is one of the world’s fastest growing civil aviation markets and the fleet of Indian carriers, which is currently around 800, is projected to double in the coming years.
Airbus, which has significant presence in India’s civil aviation and defence segments, has two final assembly lines (FALs) for C295 transport aircraft and the H125 helicopter.
In January this year, Airbus projected that India’s commercial aircraft fleet will triple in size to 2,250 aircraft over the next decade.
(PTI News)
