US aircraft major Boeing has announced with it would set up a
conversion facility in Hyderabad along with GMR Aero technic.
The
facility would convert ageing 737 passenger planes into dedicated freighters to
tap the regional cargo market
The deal adds to Boeing's $1 billion supply chain sourcing from India and will help support India's ambitions to become a global cargo hub, Chief Strategy Officer Marc Allen told reporters in New Delhi
The
planned facility comes amid a push by Boeing to expand in India, including a 25 million US dollars investment to set up a
logistics centre for airplane parts
Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India, said there was demand to convert more than 1,700
passenger planes globally into freighters over the next 20 years, with
about 600 coming from Asia.
E-commerce demand and electronics manufacturing is growing in India, strengthening the outlook for freighters, he was quoted by media reports.
The proposed investment comes at the back of a record order
received by Boeing by India’s flag carrier air India for passenger planes