Finally Official: IndiGo & Airbus Sign Order Agreement For 30 Airbus A350 Jets

Last week, IndiGo said that it has agreed to sign an order for a bunch of Airbus A350 jets. Now, the order has been placed officially. The European aerospace manufacturer has issued a press statement confirming the long-range aircraft order placed by IndiGo.

IndiGo Orders Airbus A350 Planes

IndiGo, which is the king of the Indian domestic market is now looking to expand its legs in the long-haul market. The airline has officially signed an order agreement with Airbus. It has purchased 30 Airbus A350-900 jets. In the press statement, Airbus said that this will help IndiGo to expand its international long-haul network.

One very interesting thing to note here. In its earlier announcement, IndiGo said that it has also chosen 70 Airbus A350s as purchase options. Along with the firm order of 30 jets, it also announced signing for 70 options. But in the Airbus press statement, there is no mention of the options held by the airline. Hence, it is not clear whether options are included in the final order or not.

IndiGo & Airbus: A Match Made in Heaven

Since its inception, IndiGo has stuck to Airbus narrowbody aircraft for its domestic and international operations. Due to a capacity crunch, it leased two Boeing 777s from Turkish Airlines. Overall, its fleet revolved around Airbus jets. Now, with the A350 order, it has strengthened its trust and commitment to the European manufacturer.

Earlier, there were rumors that the airline was looking for Boeing 787 Dreamliners. But it went for the Airbus A350. According to a press statement from the IndiGo CEO, the idea of going for widebody operations was backed by the experience gained from Boeing 777 operations. For more than 10 months, IndiGo has been operating two Boeing 777s between Delhi & Mumbai to Istanbul. He said that the widebody operations showed the airline its capabilities to utilize its domestic network for long-haul international operations.

Airbus in the press release added that the international market out of India is expected to grow rapidly. In its words, it is booming. This Airbus A350 order perfectly aligns with the country’s economic growth and income rise. It is the perfect aircraft for IndiGo to grow into the long-haul and ultra-long-haul market. With a robust range, fuel efficiency, and good capacity, it can fly the airline to any part of the world.

Executive Comments

Airbus EVP Sales for Commercial aircraft at Airbus, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry thanked the airline for trusting the aircraft manufacturer for the 6th time. The journey started with an order for 100 A320neos in June 2005. This was followed by orders of 180 A320neo family jets in 2011, 250 in 2015, 300 in 2019, 500 in 2023, and 50 widebody jets now in 2024. He said that the Airbus A320 fleet has strengthened the airline’s position in the domestic market and hoped that the A350 would do the same for IndiGo in the international long-haul segment.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, the Dutchman said that this order opens up a new chapter for the airline. This order is expected to shape the airline’s future. Not just the airline, it will reshape the Indian aviation sector. This order will help the airline in transforming from a domestic leader in India to a global leader.

IndiGo has selected Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines for powering its Airbus A350 fleet. It has already signed an order for 60 engines. This is the first-ever deal signed between IndiGo and Rolls Royce.

Conclusion

IndiGo, the largest Low-Cost Carrier in Asia has placed an order for 30 Airbus A350s. With this order, it has joined the likes of Thai Lion Air, AirAsia X, and Cebu Pacific to operate widebody aircraft as Cost Carriers. Airbus thanks IndiGo for its trust. The airline is aiming at a fleet of 550-600 aircraft by 2030. The airline is also aiming to enhance its international capacity deployment to 30% by 2030.

What do you think about this order by IndiGo? What product would you like on the IndiGo A350? Discuss in the comment section.