India’s long-haul boom fuels Boeing’s Dreamliner optimism
New Delhi: US aircraft maker Boeing expects more orders for its Dreamliners in the Indian market, which is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, according to a senior company executive. Amid the ongoing tariff issues between India and the US, Boeing India and South Asia President Salil Gupte emphasised on the two countries' goal for industrialisation of Indian aerospace and exuded confidence that the aircraft maker will be able to see through some of these short-term challenges. In India, Boeing 787 planes, also known as Dreamliners, are operated by Air India. The airline's first custom-made Dreamliner post privatisation in January 2022 is set to commence commercial operations from February 1.
"B787 has an extremely bright future in India... we look forward to potentially more orders for the 787 in India coming," Gupte told PTI in an interview. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet -- 26 legacy B787-8s, six B787-9s from Vistara and the new plane. IndiGo also operates some Dreamliners taken on lease from Norse Atlantic Airways. On June 12 last year, an Air India Dreamliner operating the flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed soon after take off, killing 260 people and it was also the first fatal accident involving the Dreamliner. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash. Against this backdrop, Gupte said it was a challenging year (2025) for Boeing. "... as we think about the Air India AI171 accident, naturally, the victims' families, victims, and all of their loved ones remain foremost in our minds.
"As it relates to the accident investigation, of course, that will go on, and we expect the Indian AAIB will issue its report. But beyond that, there's not much that any of the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can comment on," he said. In recent years, Boeing had also faced regulatory issues, including with Dreamliners. The global demand for B787s has been incredibly robust and expect that will continue in the years to come, Gupte said.
