Double Century For IndiGo: Airline To Become First Indian Carrier To Have 200 Aircrafts

IndiGo, the low-cost airline based out of Gurgaon (Haryana), is on its way to becoming the first Indian airline to have 200 aircraft in operation, as reported by Business Standard. The airline, which began operations only 12 years ago (launched in August 2006), is expected to achieve this feat this month (December 2018).

The airline is the largest of its kind in India, both by passengers carried and the fleet size, with a market share of 42.8 per cent as of October 2018. IndiGo currently has 198 aircraft, carrying passengers across 63 destinations – 49 domestic and 14 international.

India’s second largest carrier, SpiceJet, in contrast has 61 aircraft in its stable. While Indigo added 30 new planes in the first half of 2018, SpiceJet added only six.

According to the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) data, the airline also became the first one in Indian aviation history to fly more than 5 million (50 lakh) travellers in a single month. It achieved this milestone in October 2018.

However, the numbers for Indian carriers falls pale in comparison to their global peers. While American Airlines Group (AAG) operates 1,545 aircraft, Lufthansa’s fleet consisted of 728 jets.

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