Airbus and Boeing competed for wide-body aircraft order from IndiGo

IndiGo, the leading low-cost carrier in India, is considering placing an order for twin-aisle aircraft, and both Airbus and Boeing are vying to offer their wide-body jets, namely the A330neo and the 787, respectively, to the airline.

According to reports from Live Mint, IndiGo has shortlisted the Airbus A330neo and the Boeing 787 for its future operations, as disclosed by two anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

One of the sources mentioned that Boeing is aggressively pursuing this deal, as it aims to secure an order from IndiGo, which does not currently have any Boeing aircraft in its fleet. This presents a significant opportunity for Boeing to establish a presence with India’s largest airline.

Presently, IndiGo is leasing three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from Turkish Airlines, one of which is configured with a high-density arrangement, accommodating 524 out of 531 passengers in economy class seats, as per data from ch-aviation.com.

Earlier, Reuters reported that IndiGo was considering placing an order for up to 500 aircraft from Airbus, with a primary focus on the A320neo family aircraft. However, no additional details were shared by IndiGo’s CEO, Pieter Elbers, during the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Istanbul, Turkey. Elbers emphasized that the airline would not comment on any speculations.

IndiGo’s current fleet consists of 272 Airbus A320 family aircraft, ranging from the A320 to the A321neo, along with 39 ATR72-600 turboprops. As per ch-aviation.com data, the airline’s existing order book includes 491 aircraft, comprising 175 Airbus A320neo, 166 Airbus A321neo, and 69 Airbus A321XLRs.

Notably, IndiGo has not operated any wide-body aircraft thus far. Opting for either the A330neo or the 787 would mean entering into competition with other Indian carriers, namely Air India and Vistara, the latter of which is set to merge with the Air India group.

The Indian airline market is highly lucrative and rapidly growing, attracting interest from various airlines, including the Middle East’s prominent carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways.