GE eyes India boost as foreign travel spurs demand for bigger planes
General Electric’s aviation arm, already expecting to benefit from a boom in Indian domestic air travel, sees an even bigger boost from a surge in international travel that will drive demand for larger jets, its country head said.
Engines built by GE Aerospace and partner Safran power about 60% of India’s 700 plus commercial planes, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium. But most of them are narrowbody jets, which largely cater to domestic travel.
Airlines in India, a country of 1.4 billion people, still have just 50 widebody planes deployed for long-haul travel, something GE sees changing as more Indians splurge on travel.
