IndiGo CEO: By 2030, it will double in size and fly to more global destinations

New Delhi:

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said the airline aims to double its size by 2030, adding domestic and international routes and destinations, as it pursues soaring global ambitions to match India’s economic growth potential .

The country’s largest airline, with a domestic market share of just over 60%, has also invested heavily in the A321 XLR aircraft, which are expected to become part of its fleet “sometime in 2025” as it further expands overseas. business.

In order to consolidate and expand its position globally, Elbers told PTI in an interview that IndiGo’s next big leap will be to double its size by the end of this century.

The IndiGo CEO said capacity guidance was in the “early double digits” in terms of seat capacity for the next financial year starting April 2024, with one aircraft arriving every week.

Elbers also stressed that the airline is taking a number of mitigation measures in the face of supply chain and Pratt & Whitney engine difficulties, which are bearing fruit, and that the aircraft on the ground (AOG) situation is “stable.”

In February, the airline said the number of AOGs had reached more than 70.

Currently, the 17-year-old airline operates flights to 88 domestic destinations and 33 international destinations. It has a fleet of over 360 aircraft.

“By 2030, the airline’s size, global reach and footprint will be twice what it is today. That’s an ambitious goal…,” Elbers said, adding that more codeshares are expected to be established Partnerships.

Currently, IndiGo has codeshares with Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, KLM, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Atlantic.

Codeshare allows airlines to book passengers on flights through their partner airlines and provide seamless travel to various destinations.

“Obviously, going forward, we’re going to see a lot of new international destinations. We’re going to have some domestic routes, but more international routes… I would say. In particular, there’s an opportunity to have more international routes, not just destinations,” he said, citing increased services to Singapore.

About a year ago, he said IndiGo flew to Singapore from three destinations and today, the airline flies to the country from seven destinations in India. “I think we have a great opportunity to not only add destinations but also… add more routes to our network”.

A new mix of domestic and international routes will be a key factor in the airline’s pursuit of doubling in size by 2030, for which the “groundwork” has already been completed.

In December 2023, IndiGo announced that it had crossed 100 million passengers for the year, becoming the first airline to achieve this milestone.

“We should compare IndiGo with the global aviation industry. India (soon to be the world’s third largest economy) should and will have airlines that match the country’s own ambitions. So, we aim to be a 100 million “We are among the top ten airlines in the world and today, in terms of daily departures, we are seventh…” said Elbers.

Elbers said IndiGo is determined to play a very important role in India which has a strong aviation ecosystem.

“If India is the most populous country in the world and will soon become the world’s third largest economy, then India should have an aviation ecosystem that matches the country’s size, potential and ambition. IndiGo is determined to play a very important role in India Important role. Plays an important role in this,” he noted.

The airline’s finances are back on track after being hit by the coronavirus pandemic, remaining profitable in the last five quarters and achieving positive net worth in the December 2023 quarter.

“Where are we today? We have actually laid the foundation for IndiGo’s next big mission. That is to double in size by the end of this decade. You can only achieve that ambition if you get the foundation right.

“These fundamentals are important from a financial perspective, a customer perspective, a network perspective and the large fleet order we signed last June. This gives us a long-term view for the next decade,” said the IndiGo chief executive official said.

Asked whether the airline will adopt wide-body aircraft and introduce new classes, Elbers said: “We keep all options open and we will evaluate and take a decision for IndiGo that is in line with market demand and IndiGo’s needs. .”appropriate time”.

Additionally, he highlighted that the A321 XLR aircraft, expected to join its fleet “sometime in 2025”, will help the airline further expand its route range.

“XLR will take us to Europe, parts of Asia and places like Athens, Seoul, Rome… It will be a wonderful expansion for IndiGo,” he added.

The airline has ordered more than 900 aircraft.

As of the end of December 2023, the airline had a fleet of 358 aircraft, including 31 A320 ceos (11 wet leases), 184 A320 neos, 94 A321 neos, 44 ATRs, 3 A321 freighters and 2 B777s.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)