IndiGo Eyes Multiple Hubs with New A350s and A321XLRs

GURUGRAM- IndiGo (6E), India’s largest domestic airline, has established a clear objective with its recent order for its first wide-body aircraft.

The airline aims to establish multiple hubs across the country, offering direct connectivity to distant destinations from various metro cities using Airbus A350 and Airbus A321 XLR (extra long-range) aircraft, which are scheduled to join its fleet starting in 2025.

Photo: avgeekwithlens/ Harsh Tekriwal

Eyes Multiple Hubs in India

The Airbus A321 XLR planes are intended for non-stop flights lasting 7-8 hours to destinations in Europe and the Far East countries.

During a conference call regarding the induction of wide-body aircraft on Tuesday, IndiGo’s chief executive officer, Pieter Elbers, highlighted the airline’s vision for establishing strongholds in different regions of the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.

Given India’s geographical location, the airline is optimistic about offering both overlapping and unique connections through various metro cities.

In a conference call with analysts and journalists, Elbers emphasized the linear decline in market share of Indian carriers in international markets beyond 5-6 hours, noting that they are significantly under-represented in the wide-body, long-haul market. He believed that Indian carriers should be able to compete with global aviation hubs.

Photo: Airbus

IndiGo New A350s

On April 25th, IndiGo announced a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft to facilitate non-stop flights from India to Europe, the UK, the US, far East Asia, and Australia.

While the airline and the aircraft manufacturer did not disclose the acquisition cost, estimates suggest it could exceed $9 billion based on 2018 list prices. It’s worth noting that Airbus stopped publishing aircraft list prices in 2019.

In addition to the firm order for 30 A350-900 aircraft, IndiGo has secured purchase rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 family aircraft.

Currently, the airline operates low-frill flights with all-economy seats using a fleet of Airbus 320 aircraft, accommodating between 180 and 220 passengers. This order signifies IndiGo’s entry into the wide-body segment, which was previously dominated by Air India and Vistara, both Tata Group companies.

The airline reaffirmed that the decision to order 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft was made after extensive evaluation, aligning with the government’s aspiration of establishing global aviation hubs in the country.

Photo: Robin Hardy

Aims 30% Int’l Seat Capacity

“India is projected to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, and with the rising aspirations of Indian consumers to travel not only regionally but also globally, IndiGo’s growth as an airline has influenced this strategic decision,” stated Elbers.

IndiGo aims to allocate 30% of its seat capacity to international routes, up from the current 27%. This percentage is expected to increase further with the introduction of A321XLR aircraft in 2025 and A350 aircraft in 2027.

Currently, IndiGo is the largest domestic airline and the second-largest international airline after the Air India group, operating approximately 2,000 daily flights.

“We currently operate around 350 aircraft, and by 2030, our fleet will expand to 550-600 aircraft… There will be similarities between the A350 and A320 family, allowing for synergy in various elements such as cockpit crew and methodologies,” added Elbers.

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