IndiGo orders 30 Airbus aircraft for long-haul flights
IndiGo, India’s largest domestic airline, has entered the long-haul market by ordering 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft that will help the low-cost carrier launch non-stop flights from the country to Europe, the UK, the US, and Australia.
While the airline and the aircraft manufacturer did not share the cost of acquisition, it is estimated at over $9 billion, based on 2018 list prices. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has stopped publishing list prices since 2019.
In addition to the firm, or confirmed, order of 30 A350900, IndiGo has also secured purchase rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 family aircraft, it said. This will provide IndiGo an option to buy up to 70 additional A350 family aircraft if it so desires, “for possible future needs under certain conditions”.
The airline said that the exact configuration of the aircraft will be decided at a later stage, and the deliveries are expected to start in 2027. Industry watchers, however, suggest that this order would also lead to a slight deviation in IndiGo’s low-cost model, as the airline may have to offer frills and sell premium seats on long-haul flights. Currently, the airline operates low-frill flights with all-economy seats through a fleet of Airbus 320 family aircraft.
Established in 2006, IndiGo has so far been a low-cost carrier operating a fleet of narrow-body aircraft that can seat between 180 and 220 passengers. With this order, IndiGo will also join the wide-body players Air India and Vistara, both from the Tata Group.
“Today’s historic moment marks a new chapter for IndiGo and will further shape the future of the airline and for Indian aviation at the same time,” IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said in the statement. He said that the move will help the airline become one of the leading global aviation players.
Airbus A350-900 is a widebody long-range twin-engine aircraft, introduced in commercial service by Qatar Airways in 2015. It can carry 300350 passengers over a 15,000kilometre or a 16-17 hour flying range on a non-stop flight and will be powered by RollsRoyce’s Trent XWB engines. This effectively allows IndiGo to operate direct flights to the extreme east and west of India, including the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia among others.