Airbus urges faster airport transfers, regulatory harmonization, and workforce/operational upgrades to support India's hub-era fleet expansion.
Airbus President &MD for India and South Asia Jürgen Westermeier
Global aerospace major Airbus has called for more efficient airport transfers as well as harmonised regulations to support India’s ambitions to become an international aviation hub, stressing that aircraft fleet growth must be matched by improvements across the operating ecosystem.
Speaking at the Aviation India and South Asia 2026 summit being held here, Airbus President and Managing Director for India and South Asia Jürgen Westermeier said the country needed to improve airport operations and connecting journeys to compete with established Middle Eastern hubs.
Accordingly, airport operating systems would need to evolve alongside the expansion of airline fleets and networks, enabling passengers to make connections more efficiently.
“If you want to be state-of-the-art, you need to have state-of-the-art operations,” he said.
Besides, Westermeier called for harmonised regulations and quicker transit processes, linking these improvements to the effective utilisation of wide-body aircraft.
His remarks come as Indian airlines prepare to expand long-haul operations and develop connecting traffic through their domestic hubs.
According to Westermeier, India offers substantial opportunities in international aviation, with Indian carriers yet to fully serve the travel requirements of the country’s population.
However, capturing that opportunity would require coordinated development across airports, airlines, training institutions and other parts of the aviation ecosystem.
Westermeier said the industry needed to prepare for a tripling of the country’s aircraft fleet over the next decade.
At present, the existing commercial fleet is at around 800 aircraft. Such expansion would require more than additional aircraft, with operating systems and workforce capabilities also needing to grow.
Furthermore, airlines would have to upgrade their systems and build resilience as the scale and complexity of their operations increased.
He described aviation growth as a significant opportunity, while cautioning that the transition would not be a “walk in the park”.
Meanwhile, Westermeier highlighted the need to expand the availability of pilots and technicians to support the growing fleet.
Presently, Airbus is supporting pilot training through its facilities and partnerships, he said, adding that it had 14 full-flight simulators in India, including through its joint venture.
In addition, the company is working with educational institutions through curriculum support, faculty engagement and scholarships to strengthen the availability of industry-ready talent.
Westermeier said the objective was to help bridge the gap between university education and the capabilities required by aerospace companies.
On sourcing, he said Airbus’s annual procurement from India had risen to about $1.6 billion in 2026, against $500 million in 2019, with services and physical components and materials now accounting for roughly half each.
The company expects annual sourcing to reach at least $2 billion before the end of the decade, while continuing discussions with suppliers on additional opportunities.
Additionally, Airbus is expanding local procurement from smaller detail parts to more complex components, including aircraft doors, and developing access to aerospace raw materials.
Moreover, Westermeier said the company had awarded a contract to a titanium supplier in India this year, with sourcing expected to begin soon. He did not identify the supplier.
Local sourcing of raw materials would help reduce lead times, costs and transportation requirements, he added.
Nevertheless, he stressed that growth would depend on airlines developing financially sustainable operations and offering products that passengers could afford.
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