IndiGo Doubles Airbus Order With 30 More Aircraft, Eyes Global Expansion Through New Routes And Strategic Alliances

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has placed an additional order for 30 Airbus A350 aircraft, doubling its existing order of 30 jets, the Mint reported.

“We are placing a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900s,” said IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Sunday (1 June).

The airline had initially ordered 30 A350s in April last year, with an option to purchase 70 more.

Founded in 2006, IndiGo now has over 900 aircraft on order, marking an aggressive expansion plan.

As part of its push to expand globally, IndiGo is preparing to launch flights to 10 new international destinations using leased Boeing 787 aircraft in the current fiscal year.

In a major development, IndiGo has entered a strategic partnership with Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic to enhance connectivity between India, Europe, and North America.

“IndiGo has embarked on an ambitious journey to become a global airline by 2030,” said Elbers.

Elbers added, “We are particularly excited to start our long-haul expansion from this Summer and connect with our partners' networks to provide greater access to Europe and North America...”

Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith called India a "strategic market," while Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said the move will “enhance the travel experience… from greater connectivity and optimized flight times to loyalty benefits.”

Airbus now counts IndiGo and Tata-owned Air India among its top three global airline customers with the highest aircraft backlogs, said Benoit de Saint-Exupery, EVP (sales, commercial aircraft) at Airbus.

The company has 916 aircraft pending delivery to IndiGo and 344 to Air India, mostly narrow-body jets.

Malaysia-based AirAsia Group ranks second with 393 aircraft on order.

Speaking in Delhi during the IATA AGM, Benoit offered some relief to carriers facing delivery delays: “We are seeing the first signs of stability in supply chain.”

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