Boeing, which has been surpassed in the last two years by Airbus in the delivery of commercial aircraft, has said it may raise its forecast for deliveries in 2006 because of higher-than-expected demand from Chinese and Indian airlines.

　　China Southern Airlines, Air India and other carriers from the two nations may order more planes next year, especially smaller aircraft with single aisles, enabling Boeing to deliver "a little" more than an earlier target of between 375 and 385 planes, said Lee Monson, Boeing’s senior vice president for sales in the Middle East and Africa.

　　"Demand is starting to increase rapidly," Monson said in an interview Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "There is more demand than supply," he said, declining to be more specific about next year’s target.

　　Growth among the airlines of Asia, where 10 low-fare carriers began flying last year, is leading global demand for new planes. Chinese airlines may need 1,790 new planes worth $230 billion until 2023, while Indian carriers may need 570 new aircraft, Airbus said on March 8. Boeing put the forecast at 2,300 planes valued at $180 billion for China while India’s airlines may spend $35 billion on new orders.

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