IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International) has halted plans for flights to Europe for at least another six months, an inside source told The Economic Times.
"There will be no flights to European destinations in the next six months or even a year. I wouldn’t call it a reversal but plans are always reviewed," a source said.
The low-cost carrier previously hoped to debut its European services this year with London Gatwick set to be the maiden destination. IndiGo had already obtained slots at the London gateway but so far has not secured all necessary regulatory approvals. If unused, the slots will have to be returned at the end of the current Winter 2018/19 season at the end of March 2019.
IndiGo applied for traffic rights to a number of European destinations in early 2018. At that time, it was also considering placing an order for A330neo equipment. The widebody plans were, however, dropped later in 2018 due to the worsening margins on the domestic market.
The LCC subsequently changed its plans to operate long-haul services with its incoming A321-200neo aircraft, potentially using fifth-freedom-friendly airports between India and Europe as hubs.
According to the ch-aviation capacity module, IndiGo Airlines currently operates 752 weekly international flights, around 8% of its entire weekly production. The LCC's international destinations are limited to the Gulf, South, and South-East Asia, with Hong Kong International being the only airport served outside these regions.
