Indian airline IndiGo chooses European Airbus

This low-cost airline purchased 30 new wide-body aircraft from Airbus in early June. This is another major order for the European aircraft manufacturer.

Indian airline IndiGo announced Sunday, June 1st in New Delhi that it had signed for 30 Airbus A350-900s . The amount of the transaction has not been disclosed, but at list price, that is, before negotiations, it would be $9.5 billion (a little over eight billion euros). Thirty aircraft that come in addition to 30 others recently purchased. This time, these are A350-900 models, each of which can carry up to nearly 300 passengers. IndiGo, which, in 2023, had already signed the largest contract in the history of aviation by volume with the purchase of 500 Airbus single-aisles . Smaller aircraft, but very popular with international airlines.

This IndiGo order was signed on the first day of the International Air Transport Association's general assembly in New Delhi, a sign that the Indian market is growing rapidly. A booming market, this is perfectly illustrated by the rise of IndiGo, founded in 2006. It has democratized air travel and, by 2024, had carried 118 million passengers to some 130 destinations. The A350-900 aircraft model meets this demand, as it has a long range of up to 15,000 km non-stop, connecting India to virtually every region of the world.

For Airbus, as well as for foreign airlines that have partnered with IndiGo (Virgin Atlantic, Delta Airlines, and Air France-KLM in particular), this is a strategic market, something the head of the Franco-Dutch airline is pleased about. Ben Smith emphasizes that India, the most populous country on the planet—which, with nearly 1.5 billion inhabitants, now surpasses China—is a key area in terms of air traffic.

India is now the world's fourth-largest air market, with new development capacity. Hence this strategic interest for aircraft manufacturers and partner airlines. Annual traffic growth forecast over the next 20 years is between 6 and 7%, double the estimated global growth. This simultaneously creates a huge need for jobs and skilled personnel, and represents a major challenge in terms of logistics and infrastructure. These are all potential markets for major operators, including European and French operators, who will seize the opportunities.