Boeing to deliver first 787 Dreamliner to Air India next year

Boeing on Tuesday said it will deliver the first 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Air India by the second quarter of 2011.

Boeing on Tuesday said it will deliver the first 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Air India by the second quarter of 2011.

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"We will deliver the first 787 Dreamliner to Air India in the second quarter of the next calendar year," Boeing India president Dinesh Keskar told reporters on the sidelines of an industry summit in New Delhi.

The national carrier has ordered for 27 B-787 Dreamliners which are expected to be deployed on non-stop, long-haul flights to sectors like India-US. The 200 to 300-seat aircraft is made of of composite materials and new engine and flight technology which makes it highly fuel-efficient and lower cost of travel.

The plane can carry passengers non-stop on between 6,500 km and 16,000 km.

According to Keskar, the company expects the industry to place more orders as the carriers come out with better quarterly results and fly more passengers.

"I expect the Indian carriers to place more orders as the Indian carriers come out with better results and fly more people, this year I expect the airlines to fly around 50 million people," Keskar said.

Budget airline SpiceJet inked a deal worth $2.7 billion for 30 B737 planes in Mumbai during US President Barack Obama's visit.

Keskar said the SpiceJet deal is a sign that the industry is coming back to life after a slump of two years and he expects it to grow further by carrying more people and starting new international flights.

When asked about the trade relations between the US and India, he said its a two-way street and that with more aircraft, new jobs in India and the US will be created.

"With new aircraft, jobs will be created in the US and India both, over here as there will be new aircraft there will be a need for more pilots and people," Keskar added.

Currently, the company which has a orders booked worth $15 million has a backlog of 100 aircraft to some of the major carriers like Jet Airways, Air India and Spicejet.