IndiGo places $5 bn order for 30 A350 widebody planes

To mark foray into long-haul routes, taking the fight to A-I

- DEEPAK PATEL

IndiGo on Thursday placed an order with European plane maker Airbus for 30 A350-900 widebody aircraft at a deal estimated to be between $4 billion and $5 billion.

To meet growing demand in the country's air travel market, Indian carriers have made four significant aircraft orders since last year.

In February 2023, the Tatarun Air India Group placed an order for 470 planes: 250 with Airbus and 220 with American plane maker Boeing.

In June 2023, IndiGo made the world's largest aircraft order by signing a deal for 500 A320neo family planes from Airbus.

In January 2024, the new airline Akasa Air placed an order for 150 B737 MAX aircraft with Boeing.

Thursday's order marks the first time that IndiGo is purchasing widebody planes for its fleet. However, India's largest airline does have some experience with widebody planes as it currently operates two B777 aircraft, leased from Turkish Airlines.

"The exact configuration of the (A350-900) aircraft will be decided at a later stage, and deliveries are expected to start from 2027. In addition to the 30 firm A350-900 order, IndiGo has purchase rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 family aircraft, at its discretion, for possible future needs under certain conditions," the airline mentioned.