India handler fly - Curt Lewis

India's airlines are buying 1,000 new planes, but that still won't be enough

Airport staff stand as Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May's aircraft arrives amid the heavy smog at the airport in New Delhi, India, November 6, 2016.

In February, domestic air travel demand in India grew twice more than the global average, and the country's airlines are gearing up for a further rise.

Jet Airways, India's second-largest airline (by market share), informed the Indian exchanges (pdf) on March 03 that it had agreed to buy 75 new Boeing 737 MAX planes. This would take the airline's total order book to over 150 aircraft, though the company hasn't specified a timeline.

Vistara, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and the Tata Group, is reportedly looking to buy 60 planes. IndiGo, the country's largest airline, wants to add an eye-popping 450 in eight years.

These orders total to around 1,000 aircraft over the next eight years (pdf).