INDIGO Airline Seeks To Expand International Exposure

February 16, 2023

IndiGo Seeks To Expand International Exposure

As it waits for the arrival of its first Airbus A321XLR before the end of 2024, IndiGo is aiming to strengthen its global network and further establish its local operations.

About 95% of the ULCC’s total profits come from its local operations, but in the upcoming years, the airline wants to raise its international capacity from 15% to roughly 20-25%.

Rajat Kumar, IndiGo’s VP of network planning, stated that the A321XLR would increase IndiGo’s aircraft’s range to an 8-hour flight time, making markets in South and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and some African markets accessible.

According to CAPA data, IndiGo has 308 A321 neo family planes and an undetermined number of A321XLRs on order. According to Kumar, the XLRs are anticipated to have a single-class cabin like the rest of IndiGo’s Airbus fleet.

Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, stated earlier this month that new flights between India and Nairobi, Kenya, and Jakarta, Indonesia, are planned; Kumar added that China will also be a priority. The airline only flew to Chengdu and Guangzhou before the pandemic, and it has yet to resume service to both cities.

As more people in India have the means to travel, the market there is anticipated to expand by 5-6%. As the airline brings back grounded aircraft and takes possession of two to three new aircraft each month, linking tier 2 and tier 3 cities as well as tier 1 cities, Kumar anticipates steady capacity growth.

After a two-month pandemic suspension in March 2020, the airline quickly resumed operations and increased capacity and routes, according to Kumar.

When questioned about the competition in India, including the newly formed Akasa Air and the merged former AirAsia India, Kumar indicated there was still enough of potential for expansion and that the market as a whole was expanding.

The city of Dharamshala (DHM), which is located in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, will become IndiGo’s 78th domestic destination, up from the network’s 62 locations before the epidemic. On March 26, the LCC will launch 11 times weekly flights between Delhi (DEL) and Dharamshala.

With three additional routes, the airline is also expanding its foothold in the Middle East. Starting on March 26, daily flights between Chennai (MAA) and Hyderabad (HYD) and Abu Dhabi (AUH) will be available, as well as daily service between MAA and Muscat (MCT) in Oman.