With Europe on its mind, IndiGo to add three more wide-body jets on damp lease in 2025 | Business News
IndiGo will be taking at least three more wide-body aircraft on damp lease from Norse Atlantic Airways to fuel its ambition to fly direct to Europe. The airline, which is India’s largest, plans to start direct flights to Europe sometime in the upcoming summer using the one Boeing 787-9 wide-body aircraft that it has already inducted on damp lease from Norse Atlantic. The other three leased Boeing 787-9 planes are slated to arrive in India in the second half of this year.
The announcement from IndiGo came a day after the airline announced that it will use the already inducted Boeing 787-9 from Norse Atlantic for flights to Europe from “mid-summer”. Till then, it will be using the aircraft to operate a daily return service on the high-demand Delhi-Bangkok route, which is being viewed by industry watchers as an initiation run for the aircraft on a familiar and popular route for IndiGo.
As part of its “internationalisation strategy”, IndiGo also plans to induct extra-long-range narrow-body Airbus A321 XLR aircraft and even wide-body Airbus A350 planes to operate medium- and long-range international flights. While IndiGo will start receiving the A321 XLRs from 2025-26 and the A350s from 2027, the carrier evidently does not want to wait for them to further fuel its international expansion. Therefore, it is taking Norse Atlantic’s Boeing 787-9 planes on lease, and is in the market for more wide-body aircraft on damp lease.
“We are delighted to confirm extension of our partnership with Norse Atlantic Airways for damp lease of additional three Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This will help us make strategic inroads and establish the brand in the European market. As we execute our broader strategy to strengthen and extend our international network, we are steadily advancing towards our vision of becoming a global player by 2030, firmly rooted in India and driven by continuous expansion,” IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers said, but did not name the European destinations that the airline plans to launch this year.
After dominating the Indian skies with a market share of over 60 per cent, IndiGo has been making concerted efforts as part of its strategy of internationalisation, which entails a rapid expansion of its international network—including foraying into the long-haul segment—given the robust overseas travel demand from India. Over the past two to three years, IndiGo has expanded its international network by adding destinations in regions including Central Asia and the Caucasus, Southeast Asia, and Africa using its narrow-body fleet. Europe, where Air India is the only Indian carrier that operates, was expected to be the next frontier for IndiGo.
The airline’s move to have a wide-body fleet of its own marked a significant departure from the classic and proven budget airline model that focusses on single-type narrow-body fleet and domestic and short-haul international routes. The low-cost long-haul model, on the other hand, has seen far more failures than successes globally. IndiGo currently operates a fleet of narrow-body jet and turboprop aircraft, except for two wide-body Boeing 777 planes on lease from Turkish Airlines specifically for flights between India and Turkey.
“The initial term of the Agreement is six months, extendable to up to 18 months, subject to regulatory approvals. Both Parties remain committed to explore opportunities to further extend this period, subject to regulatory approvals. IndiGo and Norse will continue exploring opportunities to contract additional aircraft and increase their collaboration further,” IndiGo said on its damp lease arrangement with Norse Atlantic.
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