Eyeing a massive expansion, IndiGo on Thursday announced placing a firm order for 30 wide-body A350-900 planes and also mentioned the possibility to buy 70 more such aircraft while entering the world of wide-body aircraft segment after nearly two decades since starting operations.
IndiGo, which started its journey back in 2006, currently owns a fleet of over 350 narrow-body planes and two wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft leased from Turkish Airlines to Istanbul from Delhi and Mumbai.
IndiGo eyes business expansion
The airline, which has a 60% share of the Indian aviation market, aims to double in size by 2030 with new domestic and international routes as well as destinations. With these A350 planes, IndiGo expects to connect to the world from various Indian metros.
The A350-900 planes will be powered by Rolls Royce's Trent XWB engine and the exact configuration of these aircraft, whose delivery is expected to start from 2027, will be decided later.
'Historic moment': IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers
In a release, IndiGo said it is entering the "wide-body space with an order for 30 firm Airbus A350-900 aircraft".
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elberstermed it as a "historic moment"
"The mission capability of this aircraft (A350) coupled with the efficiency of the Trent XWB engine will offer IndiGo unprecedented optionality as it embarks on the next stage of its wonderful journey of addressing the rapidly evolving needs of the Indian customer and our nation," the release said.
"Since inception in 2006, IndiGo has been successfully building its position and is now defining its future further on the path of becoming a global aviation player," IndiGo said.
The order also strengthens Airbus' presence in the wide-body aircraft segment, which has traditionally been dominated by Boeing.
"This new order will bring the strategic relationship between IndiGo and Airbus to an unprecedented level in terms of depth, breadth, and size. For the relationship between IndiGo and Rolls Royce, this marks the beginning of a new, long and fruitful relationship," the release said.
