'Boeing can fuel IndiGo's aspirations'

Planemaker hopes to support IndiGo's ambition to fly long-haul routes, after rival Airbus snags the airline's mega-order for narrow-body planes

- Anu Sharma

After India’s largest airline IndiGo placed a record order for 500 narrow-body aircraft with French aerospace giant Airbus, competition for wide-body planes has opened up with American aircraft manufacturer Boeing looking to tap the opportunity in the long-haul segment.

“It is something we are obviously very interested in. If IndiGo needs wide-body aircraft, we have the best in business in terms of Boeing B787. It can provide a carrier like IndiGo to increase its aspirations beyond just the regional market," Darren A. Huslt, vice president, commercial marketing, Boeing, said in an interview.

IndiGo has been an all-Airbus narrow-body fleet so far, and has 39 turboprop aircraft from ATR, a joint venture of Airbus, and does not have any agreement with Boeing. However, the airline has got approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to wet-lease aircraft for up to one year. Subsequently, it took two Boeing 777 aircraft on wet lease from Turkish Airlines to operate on the Istanbul-India route. A wet lease involves leasing an aircraft, along with its crew.