DGCA Approves IndiGo FIight Operation From Delhi To Almaty, Kazakhstan

DGCA's nod for operations expansion to Central Asian country comes a month after India’s largest airline presented its plan to expand aggressively on international routes to cover Africa, Central Asia

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved the operations of IndiGo flights from Delhi to Almaty, Kazakhstan, reported ANI. The airline will start the operations effect from September 5, 2023, the news agency said. The report comes a day after the government informed regarding aviation regulator giving an in-principle nod for Air India and IndiGo to import a total of 970 planes.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, said, "Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted in-principle approval to Air India Ltd and Interglobe Aviation Ltd (IndiGo) for import of 470 and 500 aircraft, respectively."

DGCA's nod for operations expansion to Central Asian country comes a month after India’s largest airline presented its plan to expand aggressively on international routes to cover Africa and Central Asia with 174 new weekly flights between June and September of 2023.

In June, the company had announced that starting in late July or early August, IndiGo will commence direct flights from Mumbai to Nairobi, Kenya, and Jakarta, Indonesia. In addition, the airline was also planning to launch flights from Delhi to Tbilisi, Georgia; Baku, Azerbaijan; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; and Almaty, Kazakhstan, with services beginning in August and September.

This expansion plan will bring IndiGo's total international destinations to 32, compared to the current 26. The airline aims to add 174 new weekly international flights between June and September 2023, offering increased connectivity and options for travelers.

IndiGo is the country's largest airline with a domestic market share of more than 57 per cent. It has a fleet of over 300 planes and operates more than 1,800 daily flights.

On Monday, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh informed parliament that IndiGo will acquire 500 aircraft from the A320 neo family. Air India will also buy 210 planes from the A320 neo family, 140 from the B737 family and 40 from the A350 family. Besides, the carrier will buy 50 B737-8s, 20 B787-9s and 10 B777-9s.