Tuesday, December 21 2004 19:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: European aircraft maker Airbus Industries today (Dec 21, 2004) termed India as the potential of becoming the second largest aircraft market in Asia after China and doubled its earlier projections of aircraft requirement by the country to 400 by 2019.

"We have revised our earlier projections. About 400 aircraft by 2019, that could be the number," Airbus Industries Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy told reporters in Bangalore.

Airbus earlier had predicted that India has a market potential for 220 aircraft of all makes by 2019.

He said proliferation of low cost airlines like Air Deccan and King Fisher and expansion by mainline airlines like Air India and Indian Airlines were driving the market.

"If you get to the rate of air traffic of that of other Asian carriers, naturally that those (Indian low cost) carriers will double or triple its size, but also main line carriers like Indian Airlines and Air India and finally public will be served," Leahy said.

He said Airbus was hopeful of signing the 43 aircraft order by Indian Airlines soon and also added that it was in the race for the 40 to 50 wide bodied aircraft purchase plan for Air India.

"We have been asked to submit the RFP and bids for Air India's plan to buy 40 to 50 aircraft," Leahy said.