Indian low-cost airline IndiGo made aviation history on Monday after it placed the largest-ever single aircraft order in history. During an event at the Paris Air Show, the Gurgaon-based airline announced it had placed a firm order for 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft.
Established just 17 years ago, IndiGo has grown into a behemoth, dominating India’s domestic air industry with a nearly 60% market share and succeeding in one of the toughest aviation markets in the world.
IndiGo already has hundreds of Airbus aircraft on firm order, and with the latest deal, the airline is now expected to take delivery of 1,330 aircraft in the coming years.
The deal is expected to augment existing orders for both A320neo aircraft and the stretched A321neo, although IndiGo did not indicate how Monday’s order would be split between the two aircraft types.
Perhaps unsurprising given continuing supply chain woes, Airbus did not provide a specific timeframe for when IndiGo is expected to take delivery of these aircraft, although planes from the latest order won’t be delivered until the 2030s.
“It is difficult to overstate the significance of IndiGo’s new historic order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft,” commented CEO Pieter Elbers, who previously headed Dutch flag carrier KLM until last June.
“An order book now of almost 1000 aircraft well into the next decade, enables IndiGo to fulfil its mission to continue to boost economic growth, social cohesion and mobility in India,” Elbers continued.
IndiGo currently serves more than 100 destinations, including 26 international destinations, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
