Business Class? Hot Food? What Does the Future of IndiGo Look Like?

Since the announcement of IndiGo to enter the business class market, there are a lot of questions roaming around in the minds of aviation enthusiasts. In this article, let us try to find the answers to some questions.

Which Aircraft For Business Class Seats?

In its announcement, IndiGo has made its intention clear to deploy the business class-equipped aircraft on the busiest business routes. There is a higher likelihood that it will equip the Airbus A321neo fleet with Business class seats.

An airline engineer told the Runway Girl Network that IndiGo will retrofit around 30-40 Airbus A321neos with Business Class seats. It is expected to source seats from Safran. However, this is currently unofficial. The airline will showcase the original business class seats in August month, when it will celebrate its anniversary.

The Airbus A321neos are expected to be fitted with 12-16 seats in business class and 180-190 Economy class seats. Additionally, ovens will be added to serve hot meals to business-class passengers. It is also in negotiations with Aero ISP providers to offer onboard internet. It is expected to provide free Wi-Fi service to business class passengers for a limited time.

Which Routes For the Business Class Seats?

First and foremost, IndiGo will be operating business class seats exclusively on domestic routes. Specifically, it will be targeting those routes, which have heavy traffic and premium demand. Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are going to be the expected bases of aircraft equipped with premium cabins.

The domestic operations with Business class seats will act as a testing ground for IndiGo. There is a chance that after some time, the airline will start deploying these aircraft on short to medium-haul international routes like Delhi/Mumbai to Dubai/Doha/Abu Dhabi.

Next year, it will receive delivery of the first Airbus A321XLR, which will allow the airline to foray into the long-haul international market. The domestic business class operations will help the airline in assessing the feasibility of business class seats onboard the A321XLR as well as the A350. Similar to how the Boeing 777 operations helped it to place the Airbus A350 order.

Internationalization of Operations

IndiGo is slowly moving its strategy from being a Low-Cost Carrier to becoming a hybrid carrier. After the appointment of Pieter Elbers as the Chief Executive Officer, we have seen several hints of this shift in strategy.

The hints, such as damp leasing Boeing 777s, expanding codeshare connections, introducing a mobile-based in-flight entertainment system, announcing a loyalty program, ordering the Airbus A321XLR and Airbus A350, and launching business class seats, clearly indicate that the airline is aiming for hybrid operations. On the domestic front, it wants to operate as a dedicated LCC, but internationally, it intends to offer a premium product.

Parallely, it has expanded its international operations. Last year, it added flights to Indonesia, Nairobi, and various countries in the Central Asian region. It is now operating to two cities in Indonesia: Jakarta and Bali. Overall, it added seven international destinations in the last fiscal. In the near future, it is aiming to launch flights connecting Chennai to Jaffna, becoming the second airline to do so after Alliance Air.

What About Boeing 777 Operations?

IndiGo is currently operating a fleet of two Boeing 777s, on damp lease from Turkish Airlines. The pilots and maintenance of these jets are being managed by Turkish Airlines. Now, let us take a look at an important aspect. Before that, we will need to look at some dates.

The first aircraft, TC-LKD joined IndiGo on 28 May 2023 and entered into service on 31 May 2023. The second Boeing 777, TC-LKE joined the airline on 27 June 2023 and started commercial service on June 29.

IndiGo was allowed to lease two Boeing 777s from Turkish Airlines for 6 months, extendable by another 6 months. After 4 days, TC-LKD will complete 1 year of operations with IndiGo. It will be interesting to see whether the aircraft continue to operate for IndiGo or return to Turkey. IndiGo has not stopped the Boeing 777 bookings.

If the airline continues to operate, can we assume that DGCA has extended the leasing duration of these jets? There is a higher possibility of this extension because more than 70 Airbus A320neo family jets of IndiGo are currently on the ground because of Pratt & Whitney engine issues.

Conclusion

One thing is clear. Backed by a strong balance sheet, IndiGo is on two different missions: Enhancing product offerings and deploying more capacity in the international market. With the launch of business class on domestic routes, it will be testing the waters for doing the same in the international market. A healthy finance sheet and evolving passenger mindset will help the airline to grow with an upward trajectory.

Note: Everything written above is part of an analysis conducted by the author. Please refrain from considering it as an official statement of the airline. Thank you.

What are your thoughts about the future of IndiGo, Business class, and internationalization? Discuss in the comment section.