Boeing expects to maintain a steady pace of aircraft deliveries to Indian airlines over the next two years, even as it refrains from issuing formal annual delivery targets, Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India and South Asia, said at Wings India 2026 at Hyderabad on Thursday.
“We do not do a delivery target going forward for a year. That is for our customers to put out,” Gupte told Forbes India on the sidelines of the event. “What I can say is that over a two-year period, in the current rate environment, we are looking at an average of two aircraft a month. Now that is an average. Some months there will be more, some months there will be less.”
Deliveries in India are currently lined up for Akasa Air and Air India Express as well as Air India, which is taking widebody aircraft as part of its fleet renewal and expansion programme.
“At the moment, we have deliveries coming for Akasa and Air India Express on the narrowbody side,” Gupte said. “And then, of course, Air India widebody deliveries, like the 787-9 that we saw today at Wings 2026.” Pointing to the Boeing 787-9 on static display at the event, he added, “That aircraft is actually the first that has Air India’s bespoke interior. It truly is a reflection of Indian culture and history manifested in an airplane interior. We are very proud of it. It is a work of art.”
Fleet expansion and replacement are expected to drive a near four-fold increase in the regional fleet by 2044, alongside average annual passenger traffic growth of about 7 percent.
Gupte said preparing for that scale of growth will require parallel investment in people and support infrastructure, not just aircraft.
“There are 45,000 pilots that are required to fly those aircraft, and an equal number of mechanics to maintain them,” he said. “Investing in pilot training and investing in the maintenance ecosystem is essential. It is only when our customers thrive and succeed that we are able to succeed.”
Boeing has existing maintenance and training partnerships in India, including with GMR and Air Works, and is expanding simulator and training capability in the country, the company said in a media briefing on Wednesday.
“There is clearly a requirement here in India to go after tier-II and tier-III markets, to induce demand and develop those markets so that they can fly,” he said. “Our mission in India is to enable every single Indian to fly, not just those in tier-one metro markets.”
He said the industry will need to determine which aircraft types are best suited for these routes.
“What we have to determine is which is the right airplane for those markets. Is it regional jets, or is it turboprops,” he said, adding that this discussion is likely to evolve as regional markets mature.
While Boeing does not manufacture regional jets or turboprops, Gupte said the company remains open to supporting India’s efforts to develop a regional transport aircraft. “if India develops a regional transport aircraft, we would bring our supply chain to support such a project,” he said.
“Aviation is a family,” he said. “Whenever there is an accident, our first focus is on the victims and everyone impacted. Beyond that, we look to investigations to see what all of us, whether manufacturers, airlines or maintenance organisations, can learn to make aviation even safer.”
He reiterated that aviation remains the safest form of transport due to continuous learning and improvement.
“One of the next big things that the Boeing family is working on is right here today,” he said, referring to the company’s autonomous electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft on display. “It is autonomous from day one. There is no pilot.”
The aircraft is designed to carry four passengers over distances of under 100 kilometres and is aimed at short, point-to-point urban travel.
“This is a new area for every regulator in the world,” Gupte said. “We are all learning and evolving together as these technologies move forward.”
Boeing has also announced a skilling partnership in India with supplier Wilton Weavers to train women with disabilities for aerospace manufacturing roles, as part of its workforce development initiatives.
Gupte said long-term growth in Indian aviation will depend on parallel progress in aircraft supply, training capacity, maintenance infrastructure and supply chain depth.
“Aviation is the safest form of transportation in human history,” he said. “That is because safety remains the top priority every single day across the industry, and that will continue.”
First Published: Jan 30, 2026, 12:10
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