IndiGo Becomes Second Indian Airline to Order the Airbus A350

The last two years have been a revolution for Airbus when it comes to widebody operations in India. Until last year, there was not a single Airbus widebody aircraft in India. But now, two airlines have ordered the Airbus A350 aircraft.

Earlier, there were rumors that IndiGo would order a significant number of Boeing 787 aircraft. But now, IndiGo has cleared the air over such rumors and chosen the Airbus widebody aircraft.

IndiGo Orders the Airbus A350

IndiGo becomes the second Indian airline to operate the Airbus A350. The largest low-cost carrier in India has placed a firm order for 30 Airbus A350 jets. Along with this, it has opted for 70 options. In the future, the airline will exercise these options, if it witnesses an uptick in demand.

With this aircraft, IndiGo will enter into the long-haul and ultra-long-haul market. The arrival of the first Airbus A350 is anticipated in 2027. These aircraft will be powered by 2 Rolls ROyce Trent XWB engines. The Layout of Passenger accommodations (LOPA) has not been decided yet. Hence, it can not be said whether it will have business class or not.

In its statement, IndiGo said that the needs of Indian passengers are evolving, and this order is the result of that evolution. IndiGo, in its entire history, has never operated a widebody fleet on its own. It is currently operating two Boeing 777s, which are leased from Turkish Airlines. The crew and maintenance are being sourced from Turkish Airlines.

With this order, the order book of IndiGo crosses 1,000 jets. Last year, the airline placed an order for 500 Airbus A320neo jets at the Paris Airshow 2023.

Revolutionizing the Long Haul Game

Finally, there is some serious competition to Air India in the long-haul game. Till now, Air India was the only airline to operate widebody aircraft, and hence, no other airline could enter the more than 6-7 hour flight segment out of India. Now, IndiGo has given a strong statement and will likely revolutionize the long-haul travel from India.

With this order, IndiGo joins the likes of airlines like Frenchbee and IberoJet, which are Low-Cost Carriers and operate the Airbus A350. Frenchbee operates the Airbus A350 in a twin-cabin configuration, while IberoJet operates it in an all-economy configuration.

This order also aligns with the mission of the Government of India, which wants Indian airlines and airports to become self-independent, so that passengers do not need to rely on foreign carriers like Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways.

A321XLR + A350 Will Shape 6E’s Long Haul Network

IndiGo has an unknown number of Airbus A321XLRs on order. As per some media reports, it has the largest number of XLRs in the order book. It is due to receive the first XLR in 2025. With XLR coming in next year and A350 joining in 2027, it will be interesting to see how IndiGo unfolds its long-haul expansion.

The airline has already stated its intent of internationalization of operations. With the XLR, it will enter into markets like East Europe and Far-East Asia. It has eyes on destinations like Rome, Seoul, and Athens.

It is still a mystery whether the XLR can cover the distance between India and London in an all-economy configuration. If not, IndiGo would likely use the A350 for non-stop flights to London. As a stop-gap measure, I will not be surprised if it launches one-stop XLR flights to London via Istanbul.

Business Class?

IndiGo is a low-cost carrier. There are very limited number of LCCs in the world, which operate widebody aircraft. This model had once become a nightmare for AirAsia Group. There are several failure stories of the Low-Cost Long-Haul operation model. The best examples are Norwegian Air and Wow Air.

IndiGo has not finalized the cabin for Airbus A321XLR as well as Airbus A350 as of now. No idea about the XLR, but I think that the A350 will receive a premium cabin. A350 can easily take IndiGo to any part of the world. The most prominent markets include the European, Asian, and North American markets. It will be interesting to see whether the airline opts for a full-fledged Business Class or a Premium Economy Class.

This order comes at a time when VP of In-Flight Services Suman Chopra has tendered her resignation. She will be leaving the airline soon.

This new order will enhance the collaboration between IndiGo, Rolls Royce, and Airbus. From Times of Aviation, I congratulate IndiGo for this achievement. Also, kudos to the Airbus India team. From zero operational aircraft last year to 70 aircraft on order now, they have done a great job.

Are you excited about the Airbus A350 order of IndiGo? Discuss in the comments section.

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