IndiGo Enters Widebody Space With Order For 30 Airbus A350-900 Aircraft, Eyeing Foray Into Long-Haul Routes

Budget carrier IndiGo on Thursday placed an order with European plane maker Airbus for 30 A350-900 widebody aircraft at a deal estimated to be between $4 billion and $5 billion.

In addition to the firm order of 30 A350s, IndiGo said that it also has purchase rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 Family aircraft “for possible future needs under certain conditions.”

The order was formally signed between Pieter Elbers, Benoit de Saint-Exupery, Airbus’ executive vice president of commercial aircraft and Ewen McDonald, Rolls Royce’s chief customer officer - civil aerospace, at InterGlobe’s Corporate Headquarters.

Powered by Rolls Royce’s Trent XWB engine, the exact configuration of the aircraft will be decided at a later stage, and the deliveries are expected to start from 2027.

The addition of wide-body aircraft to IndiGo's fleet, which has mostly narrow-body commercial planes, will enable it to venture into long-haul flights.

These wide-body planes boast larger fuel tanks and engines, enabling them to cover extensive distances. With a range of approximately 15,000 kilometres, the A350-900 aircraft will enable IndiGo to offer non-stop services on long-haul and ultra-long-haul routes like India-US, India-Australia, and India-Europe, putting it in direct competition with major carriers like Air India, Emirates, and Qatar Airways.

IndiGo currently operates a fleet of over 350 aircraft, including 128 A320s, 44 ATR regional jets, and two Boeing 777 wide-body planes leased from Turkish Airlines.

In June 2023, IndiGo placed the largest ever single aircraft order by any airline for 500 aircraft with Airbus to be delivered between 2030 and 2035. This order-book comprises a mix of A320NEO, A321NEO and A321XLR models.

Additionally, IndiGo is expected to receive around 460 planes from its existing Airbus order by 2030.

With that, the outstanding orderbook of A320 family aircraft stands at almost 1,000 aircraft which are yet to be delivered well into the next decade.