Deciphering the 6E mega order

Well, it has happened, the biggest-ever order—500 of the A320 family for Indigo. AMEYA JOSHI looks at how the country’s number one airline will use these aircraft and what sort of network can absorb these machines.

- AMEYA JOSHI

On the very first day of the Paris Air Show, IndiGo placed a record order for 500 Airbus aircraft, comprising the A320neo, A321neo, A321LR, and A321XLR. This comes four months after Air India, under the Tata group, ordered 470 aircraft, in what was then the largest order in aviation history. Air India’s order comprised 250 Airbus aircraft and 220 Boeings and was signed formally at the Paris Air Show. The IndiGo order sets two records. This is the largest order ever, and also the largest order ever for Airbus. Before this, the airline’s largest order with Airbus was for 300 aircraft in 2019.

The Paris Air show is special for IndiGo, as it was here that the airline placed its first order for 100 aircraft in 2005, the deliveries for which continued till 2014. The airline took 113 months to reach the 100 aircraft mark in its fleet, but only 46 more to add the next 150 and reach the 250 aircraft mark. Since then, it has taken 36 months to add the next 50. The abnormal timelines are the result of the focus on fleet renewal and not fleet addition.

The new order of 500 aircraft will see deliveries start in 2030 and go on until 2035.

Why now? 

IndiGo, which is not known to be impulsive, would hardly have gone ahead with an order of this magnitude just to score a few points over Air India. But then a robust fleet plan from the competition is a good enough reason to replan the strategy, look at replacements, and see where IndiGo needs to be to maintain its current market lead based on competition, largely Air India’s fleet plan - which is now known.