IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International) is in discussions to acquire up to 20 widebody aircraft, according to India's LiveMint outlet. The airline reportedly wants to use the planes to grow its international network. To date, other than some short-term wet-leased aircraft, IndiGo Airlines has only used narrowbodies.
Citing sources close to the talks, the report says IndiGo Airlines wants to purchase "around 15-20 widebody aircraft." They add that discussions with Airbus and Boeing have been underway for 12 months, and that a decision and order is expected by the end of 2023. Boeing declined to comment on the matter to ch-aviation while a IndiGo spokesperson said that they do not comment on speculation.
However, the widebodies are reportedly attractive to the Indian LCC not only because they offer additional range, but because they can be delivered quicker than narrowbodies. The carrier has 483 aircraft on order at Airbus, all A320neo and A321neo family planes. In the mix are A321-200NY(XLR)s which can fly as far as Western Europe. However, the airline will not take delivery of the first of those until 2025. "If IndiGo was to place a widebody aircraft order now, it may get it in even six months," the source told LiveMint. "(An order) makes sense if the airline wants to induct widebody, bridge that capacity gap, and tap low-cost international flying at the same time."
According to ch-aviation fleets data, IndiGo presently operates 309 aircraft, including one B777-300ER wet-leased from Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) specifically used on routes to Istanbul Airport, and thirty-nine ATR72-600s used on thin regional routes. The remaining 269 aircraft are all narrowbody Airbus aircraft, including twenty-three A320-200s, one hundred and sixty-four A320-200Ns, eighty A321-200NX, and two A321-200(P2F)s. On order are 177 A320neo, 237 A321-200NX, and sixty-nine A321-200NY(XLR)s. Notably, any impending widebody order offers Boeing the opportunity to crack the Airbus stranglehold at IndiGo Airlines.
