HYDERABAD: India will require nearly 35,000 pilots by 2035 to keep pace with the rapid expansion of its aviation sector, with air passenger traffic projected to grow at 8.9 per cent annually, the fastest among major economies, Airbus India and South Asia president and managing director Jürgen Westermeier said on Thursday.
Briefing the media during Wings India 2026, Westermeier said the country’s pilot requirement would almost triple from the current strength of about 12,000.
“The demand for pilots is set to surge to 35,000 by 2035, up from the current 12,000, while the technical workforce must grow to 34,000, tripling the current strength of 11,000,” he said.
India’s commercial aircraft fleet, comprising planes with a seating capacity of over 100 seats, is expected to triple to around 2,250 aircraft by 2035 as the country emerges as the world’s third-largest civil aviation market within the next decade, he added.
The expansion, he said, would be driven by strong domestic demand as well as Indian airlines’ ambitions to scale up international operations.
“There will be a fundamental shift in Indian consumer behaviour, with per capita air travel rising from 0.13 to 0.29 over the next decade,” Westermeier said.
He noted that the growth in fleet size would not only strengthen domestic connectivity but also position India as a key international transit hub.
“Airbus is uniquely placed to support this growth with the A320 Family for domestic expansion and the A321XLR and A350 to lead India’s medium to long haul international ambitions,” he said.
As the fleet expands, India is also expected to emerge as a major hub for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul, with the market for airframes, engines and components projected to triple to $9.5 billion by 2035.
“Indian airlines are also expected to spend up to $1 billion by 2035 on digitalisation of flight, ground and technical operations, as well as cyber security and aircraft connectivity,” he added.