Largest air show in South Asia opens: Airbus eyes big deals from private Indian airlines

Europe's Airbus sees big potential in private Indian airlines as they expand on the back of recent regulatory approval for international flights, breaking down the state monopoly, a company official said on Tuesday. A rise in low-cost Indian airlines has already been good for Airbus, already the front-runner to sell 43 A320 aircraft to state-owned Indian Airlines after underbidding rival Boeing Co in an estimated $2.1 billion deal.
"Clearly, there is a new opportunity with private airlines being allowed to fly international," company spokesman David Velupillai told a news conference in Bangalore ahead of the bi-annual Aero India industry show starting on Wednesday.
Royal Airways Ltd and Jet Airways, India's biggest domestic carrier which is set for an initial public offer of shares next week, are among potential Airbus clients in addition to Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines, which have already placed orders with Airbus.
AIR SHOW READIES FOR TAKE OFF: More than 220 global aviation firms from 31 countries are set to showcase their products in India's hi-tech capital at Aero India, billed as the largest air show in South Asia, an official said Tuesday.
The United States, Britain, France, Russia, Israel, China and Malaysia are among the nations participating in the show which opens Wednesday and runs till February 15. "This time the Indian companies have provided a much bigger participation as there are 148 firms, more than double from the last edition of the show," Shekhar Dutt, secretary of defence production told reporters.
Top-of-the-line Russian fighter planes including the Sukhoi, MiG-29 and MiG-21 fighter jets will participate in the show along with French-built Mirage 2000 jets. Dutt also said the US would display its F15-E fighter jet.