India, South Asia Airplane Fleet to Quadruple by 2043 in World’s Fastest-Growing Commercial Aviation Market

(123rf.com Image)

Boeing [NYSE: BA] forecasts India and South Asia’s commercial airplane fleet will grow nearly four-fold over the next 20 years, building on sustained fleet growth throughout the last decade.

Continued growth will be fueled by greater demand and a rise in the region’s air traffic, which will grow more than 7 percent annually through 2043 driven by sustained economic growth, improved connectivity and policies that support air travel liberalization, according to Boeing’s current Commercial Market Outlook (CMO).

Domestic air traffic is expected to remain the largest and fastest-growing segment in India’s travel market, according to the CMO.

Officials said the projected traffic growth will be enabled by further low-cost carrier expansion and network diversification as airlines offer more routes and destinations throughout the region.

Fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes, such as the 737 MAX, will account for nearly nine out of 10 commercial jet deliveries in the forecast period, providing airlines with greater network flexibility and better economics on fast-growing short- and medium-haul routes.

The region’s widebody fleet will quadruple as carriers leverage airplanes like the 787 Dreamliner and 777X to further develop long-haul networks, particularly from India to North America, where capacity has doubled in the past decade.

Boeing South Carolina is the home of the 787 Dreamliner. 

"The India and South Asia region continues to be the world’s fastest-growing commercial aviation market due to strong economic and trade growth, rising household incomes and investments in infrastructure and development," said Ashwin Naidu, Boeing managing director of Commercial Marketing for India and South Asia.

Naidu added, "As our CMO shows, people will have greater access to air travel, and the region’s airlines will require a modern fuel-efficient fleet to meet increased demand over the next two decades.”

The CMO also forecasts India and South Asia’s cargo freighter fleet, including new and converted models, will grow five-fold as the region expands its role in global supply chains, advanced manufacturing and e-commerce.

Officials said demand for pilots, cabin crew and technicians will quadruple to 129,000 along with commercial airplane fleet expansion ─ representing the fastest growth rate of any region globally.

SC Launch Inc. Announces Investment in ThreatCaptain

South Carolina Research Authority’s investment affiliate, SC Launch Inc., has invested $250,000 in ThreatCaptain.

The Greenville-based IT startup provides a financial cyber risk discovery platform designed specifically for managed service providers, MSPs, who service other companies on a subscription basis.

ThreatCaptain Inc. became an SCRA Member Company in 2024 and an SC Launch Inc. Portfolio Company when it received this investment.

“Cyber-attacks on businesses were forecasted to cost $452 billion last year, according to Statista. Unfortunately, the financial impact is projected to grow every year,” said SCRA Senior Investment Manager Rob Moser.

Moser added, “ThreatCaptain’s unique platform helps MSPs show their clients exactly how much a breach could cost, whether insurance will cover the incident, and how much they need to invest in cybersecurity to stay protected.”

“SCRA and SC Launch Inc.’s advisement and funding are enabling us to refine how we help MSPs justify cybersecurity spending to their clients,” said ThreatCaptain Co-founder Adam Anderson.

Anderson added, “With 83% of CFOs demanding clear justification for cybersecurity investments, MSPs need better discovery tools and the ability to communicate cyber risk effectively.”

Duke Energy Names Katherine Neebe As Chief Communications Officer

Duke Energy said it has appointed Katherine Neebe, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer, as chief communications officer (CCO), effective Feb. 24.

Neebe succeeds Oscar Suris, senior vice president and CCO, who will become a senior advisor.

"Katherine has demonstrated a deep appreciation for the critical role that clear, timely communications play in fostering trust among our stakeholders," said Louis Renjel, executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer.

Renjel added, "She has the leadership skills and external affairs experience needed to help meet the expectations of our customers, communities, shareholders and other stakeholders."

Under Suris, Duke Energy's Corporate Communications reorganized to become a fully integrated communications, public affairs and brand marketing organization, expanding its external storytelling and internal communications capabilities.

Duke Energy also announced Amy Strecker will lead Neebe's former organization in the interim, in addition to her current role as Duke Energy Foundation president.

Previously, Neebe served as senior vice president and chief sustainability officer at Duke Energy, where she directed enterprise-wide sustainability and policy initiatives while overseeing the Duke Energy Foundation's more than $30 million annual philanthropic investments.

In this capacity, she led Duke Energy's strategic engagement efforts to develop solutions to meet customer needs for continued reliable and affordable energy – while balancing environmental and social outcomes.

A North Carolina native, Neebe is a First Movers fellow through the Aspen Institute, received her Master of Business Administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Colorado College.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies.

The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity.

Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. 

Protect Our Heroes Against Scams  

Scammers target veterans, active-duty service members, and their families at a higher rate than they do civilians, according to the Social Security Administration.

Officials say they are 40 percent more likely than their civilian counterparts to lose money to scams and fraud.

From fake government calls and predatory entrepreneurship offers to financial scams and identity theft, scammers take advantage of veterans’ trust and service history, the officials say.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) designated March 6, 2025, as National Slam the Scam Day — an outreach campaign to raise public awareness of scams, including Social Security-related scams and other government imposter scams.

This is part of National Consumer Protection Week, March 2-8, 2025.  

Remember: 

Scammers pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain your trust.

Scammers say there is a problem or a prize.

Scammers pressure you to act immediately.

Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.

How Veterans Can Protect Themselves

Be skeptical. Hang up or delete suspicious messages from “government officials” dcalling about a problem with your Social Security number or account.

Guard personal information.

NEVER make payments with gift cards, cryptocurrency, gold bars, wire transfers, or by mailing cash.

Report Scams

Go to VSAFE.gov or call the VSAFE fraud hotline at 833-38V-SAFE (8-7233).

Allow us to tell your company's Business Narrative. Send your press release to David Dykes or for more information email [email protected]