Last Updated:June 01, 2025, 19:27 IST
IndiGo on Sunday placed an order for 30 more wide-body Airbus A350 planes, taking the total number of such aircraft to 60. The airline has placed orders for around 1,000 aircraft.
IndiGo (File Photo)
IndiGo on Sunday announced that it placed a firm order for another 30 wide-body A350 planes with Airbus, taking the total number of such aircraft to 60.
This came after the airline entered an agreement with Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic and Delta to expand its long-haul services to North America, Europe and Britain.
“We are placing a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900s,” said Pieter Elbers, the CEO of IndiGo, a company founded in 2006 and already behind the largest contract by volume in the history of civil aviation – 500 Airbus single-aisle aircraft by 2023.
The company had placed a firm order for 30 A350 aircraft in April, and there was an option to order 70 more such planes. IndiGo is aiming to expand its international network and is set to operate flights to 10 new overseas cities with leased Boeing 787 planes.
The A350 planes, with ranges of up to 15,000 kilometres (9,300 miles), will allow it to further expand its network. IndiGo has placed orders for around 1,000 aircraft from the A320 family. “This is yet another step in defining the airline’s long-term plans of international expansion,” said the company.
IndiGo’s Expansion Push
Earlier today, IndiGo entered an agreement with Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic and Delta to expand its long-haul services to North America, Europe and Britain, the company announced. The partnership is expected to offer travellers broader access, smoother journeys, and a more consistent experience across continents.
Once the airline partnership is complete, IndiGo will be able to sell flights under its own name on those operated by its partners out of India, and onward travel from Amsterdam and Manchester, UK, on selected flights to Europe and North America. Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic already code-share on IndiGo’s domestic flights.
The Delta partnership is notable, as the US carrier has not operated flights to India since the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago. Speaking at an airline summit in New Delhi, Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced that the airline plans to resume direct flights from the United States to India within the next couple of years.
Delta is planning nonstop flights between Atlanta and Delhi, which would be subject to government approval, according to a joint statement. “There’s not a more important market in aviation at the present time than in India,” Bastian said.
Meanwhile, Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said “the development of India’s air connectivity in recent years has been nothing short of phenomenal”. The growth of its economy has made India the world’s fourth-largest market, he added.
(with inputs from agencies)
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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