News Brief

Joining Global Elite Group, Indigo Becomes First Indian Airline To Ferry 100 Million Passengers In A Year

Nishtha Anushree

Dec 18, 2023, 08:00 PM | Updated 08:00 PM IST


IndiGo Airbus A320 Neo (Wikipedia)
IndiGo Airbus A320 Neo (Wikipedia)

Having transported 100 million passengers in 2023, IndiGo, India's premier airline, has become a part of an exclusive global group of carriers. This achievement of ferrying over 100 million passengers within a single year is shared by just a few airlines worldwide, marking IndiGo as the inaugural Indian airline to reach this milestone.

In the calendar year of 2022, IndiGo Airlines saw an inflow of 78 million passengers, a number slightly higher than pre-Covid-19 levels. The airline made a significant achievement for India by being the first to operate over 2,000 flights daily. Currently, IndiGo flies to 118 destinations, 32 of which are international, according to the airline's statement.

IndiGo holds the position of being the largest airline in India, both domestically and internationally. As of November, IndiGo dominated the domestic market with a 61.8 per cent share, which is almost six times greater than its closest competitor, Air India.

Furthermore, in the international sector, between July and September, IndiGo accounted for an 18.5 per cent market share among all airlines that operate flights to and from India, Indian Express reported.

The airline is currently working on network and fleet expansion. It made a record-breaking order for 500 Airbus A320 family planes earlier this year, marking the largest aircraft order in history. Coupled with planes from previous orders that are yet to be delivered, IndiGo's order tally is nearing 1,000 planes, with delivery schedules extending into the next decade.

"In the past half a year, IndiGo has expanded its network by incorporating over 20 new international routes and enhancing domestic links. The airline plans to continue this growth in the upcoming months by including destinations such as Bali in Indonesia and Medina in Saudi Arabia in a manner that is both financially viable and environmentally friendly," stated IndiGo.

IndiGo's substantial aircraft order and swift network development signify the airline's confidence in the expansion potential of India's aviation industry, which ranks third worldwide and is expanding at an incredible pace. The surge in IndiGo's air passenger traffic is indicative of the quick rebound the Indian aviation sector has experienced post-pandemic.

Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.


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