The CEO of IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International) has told The Economic Times that he intends to significantly grow the carrier's international network to 40 airports by the end of March 2025 and introduce widebody aircraft by 2027.
CEO Pieter Elbers said the expansion is part of a broader strategy to establish IndiGo as a leading global airline by 2030. The carrier plans to target emerging markets currently underserved by Indian carriers. While not specifying any particular airports, Indian outlets suggest Mauritius and Al Ain are top of the list. In addition to being India's biggest domestic operator, ch-aviation schedules data shows IndiGo also operates to international 29 airports in 22 countries as far afield as Kenya, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.
Elbers also said he planned to introduce widebody aircraft to support the airline's growing cargo business, underlining that he expects cargo to play a bigger role in the business in the future. IndiGo presently operates three A321-200(P2F)s. According to ch-aviation fleets data, the airline also has 967 aircraft on order, all but five (ATR72-600s) with Airbus, and except for thirty passenger-configured A350-900s, all narrowbodies. Elbers did not say whether his touted future widebodies would be freighters or drawn from the existing A350 order and simply use their belly space to support freight operations. However, he did confirm the first A350s are due to be delivered in 2027.
Elbers further said that his overarching strategy was to build the Indian LCC to an airline comparable in size to China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao) or Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) and "compete on a global scale." He said the first of his sixty-nine A321-200NY(XLR)s, due to start arriving next year, would put markets in North America, Europe, and Australia within range.
