EMERGING OPPORTUNITY

IndiGo is looking for more regional transport aircraft, will it continue with ATR or opt for jet powered alternatives. A special report by ATUL CHANDRA.

- ATUL CHANDRA

India’s commercial aviation market is nowadays the cynosure of all eyes, with domestic carriers having placed triple-digit aircraft orders that together total over a thousand aircraft. IndiGo is now expected to soon add to these orders with the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) said to be in discussions with airframers such as ATR, Embraer and Airbus for up to 100 regional transport aircraft. ATR is a joint partnership between Airbus and Leonardo, two major European aeronautics players and hence the former will remain the winner if IndiGo opts for more ATRs.

It is possible that Airbus could offer its A220 single-aisle jetliner to meet IndiGo’s requirement as the aircraft is promoted by the airframer as being the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market. The A220 has been well received by passengers due to its roomy cabin, large windows and spacious overhead bins, as well as the availability of In-Flight Entertainment systems and Wi-Fi.

ATR’s most dynamic market still remains Asia, however the airframer is also securing growing orders from Latin American and European customers for both fleet growth and replacement. IndiGo is already an ATR customer, and the latter has stated that it expects further demand in the next years, with expected fleet growth mainly in South Asia (India), South East Asia (Indonesia, Philippines) and Brazil.