Embraer Says India May Buy $4 Bln of Small Planes

New Delhi:India's carriers may buy $4 billion worth of small planes in the next 20 years to meet rising demand for air travel, according to Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, the world's fourth-biggest aircraft maker.
India's airlines may need to buy 165 planes which carry less than 120 people, J. Bruce Peddle, Asia Pacific managing director for Embraer, said in an interview in New Delhi today.
``India is emerging as one of the most important aviation markets in Asia,'' Peddle said. ``There are a lot of smaller cities in India that need greater connectivity and a smaller plane and not a full-sized aircraft is better suited.''
Air traffic in India is rising as Deccan Aviation Pvt., India's biggest low-fare carrier, and other airlines are luring some 15 million daily passengers to shun trains. Indian carriers last year ordered more than 200 aircraft that each seat at least 150 people.
Embraer last year made its first sale to an Indian airline when Paramount Airways Pvt. ordered five planes valued at $138 million.
Paramount is in discussions to buy 15 more planes to connect smaller cities such as the textile-exporting city of Coimbatore in the south with larger cities such as Chennai and Bangalore.
The Brazilian aircraft maker also won orders from the Indian Air Force last year.
17/03/06 Bloomberg

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