IndiGo makes history with massive 500-aircraft deal with Airbus
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India's largest airline, IndiGo, has secured a groundbreaking 500-aircraft deal with Airbus. This surpasses Air India's recent 470-aircraft agreement.
It is being considered part of the competitive race to tap into India's expanding base of flyers and substantial expatriate population.
The agreement was signed on June 19 at the Paris Air Show. Notable figures including Chairman of the Board of IndiGo, V Sumantran, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, and Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, Christian Scherer were present at the occasion, reported NDTV.
With this order for 500 A320 Family aircraft, Airbus has declared it the "biggest single purchase agreement in the history of commercial aviation." This deal elevates the total number of Airbus aircraft on order by IndiGo to an impressive 1,330, firmly establishing the airline as the largest customer of the A320 Family worldwide.
IndiGo's Chief Pieter Elbers emphasised the significance of this monumental order, stating, "It is difficult to overstate the significance of IndiGo's new historic order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft." He further highlighted that the extensive order book, nearing 1,000 aircraft by the next decade, would enable IndiGo to fulfil its mission of driving economic growth, social cohesion, and mobility within India.
"This will provide IndiGo with a further steady stream of deliveries between 2030 and 2035. This 500 aircraft order is not only IndiGo's largest order but also the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline with Airbus," said a statement from IndiGo.
Earlier this year, following its acquisition by the Tata Group, Air India had inked a 470-aircraft deal with Boeing, valued at $70 billion. This strategic move aimed to overhaul the fleet and facilitate significant network and capacity expansion, as highlighted by Air India's Chief, Campbell Wilson, at the time.
Presently, IndiGo operates a fleet of over 300 aircraft, conducting more than 1,800 daily flights and connecting 78 domestic destinations along with over 20 international destinations. With pending orders yet to be fulfilled, the airline's current fleet strength will soar to 480 aircraft.
