US aerospace giant, Boeing Company, has said in its 2008 Current Market Outlook (CMO) for India, that the country will need only 24 dedicated freighters for the period 2008-2027. The forecast for cargo planes remains the same as last year (2007-2026).

The forecast remains where it is even as the manufacturer has revised the projections for passenger planes to 977 (2008-2027) over last year's (2007-2026) projection of 887.

Boeing's 20-year forecast takes into account the industry's near-term challenges, including slowdown in world economy, surging fuel prices, slowing traffic growth and concerted action by airlines to balance costs and revenues.

In spite of a continuing downturn faced by the industry, some Indian companies are persisting with their plans for freighter operations. Pioneer LCC operator, Capt GR Gopinath, is going ahead with his plans to start a separate cargo airline company, Deccan Cargo.

He will be picking up cargo versions from European manufacturer, Airbus. So also, Hyderabad-based Flyington Freighters, who are acquiring half a dozen A330-200 freighters to start international cargo operations.

Flag carrier Air India is moving ahead on plans to acquire more freighters. The carrier is also converting older passenger planes into cargo versions. It will also be acquiring larger freighters.  The carrier has a separate cargo division and has leased some of its cargo planes to Gati.

Besides Air India, carriers such as Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and GoAir have plans to start a separate cargo airline division. Reliance Industries has also been mulling options to start an air cargo company that will handle cargo generated from proposed special economic zones at Navi Mumbai and in the north of the country.

According to Boeing's Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, sales, commercial airplanes, though India will grow over 6% in its GDP it may not need a large number of freighters, or even larger freighter versions, such as B777 or B747. "The reason is simple that India is ordering more commercial passenger airplanes.''

''These planes will be adding more cargo carrying capacity on its belly space. Typically a Boeing 777 version can carry up to 20 tonne of cargo," he said.

Keskar said though figures for the sale of freighters can be revised upwards in the future, it will not be by much.