India’s biggest budget airline, IndiGo, has announced a widebody order with Airbus for 30 A350-900s, with an option to purchase a further 70 more in the future.
The purchase represents the first time that IndiGo has ordered an aircraft built for long-haul flights and that is capable of operating to markets in the United States (US) and Europe.
“Today’s historic moment marks a new chapter for IndiGo and will further shape the future of the airline and for Indian aviation at the same time. For IndiGo, after successfully pioneering the Indian skies with an unprecedented journey, its fleet of 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft will allow IndiGo to embark on its next phase of becoming one of the leading global aviation players,” Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said in a statement on April 25, 2024.
The exact configuration of the A350-900 aircraft will be decided at a later stage, and deliveries of the planes are expected to start in 2027.
IndiGo confirmed that the aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engine.
In 2023, IndiGo placed the largest order in history through an agreement with Airbus for 500 aircraft, comprising of 125 A320neo and 375 A321neo aircraft. This was in addition to a previous order with Airbus for 480 planes.
There has long been speculation that IndiGo would place an order for a widebody jet for over a year, including in August 2023 when rumors suggested the carrier would purchase 25 new Boeing 787 Dreamliner family aircraft.
“At IndiGo, we take pride in being India’s preferred airline and for offering connectivity to our customers, in and with India. This reaffirms IndiGo’s belief in, and commitment to, the growth of India, and in our strategic partnership with Airbus,” Elbers added.
Currently, IndiGo operates over 350 aircraft comprised of Airbus A320neo, A320ceo, the A321neo and the ATR 72-600 aircraft.