A350 Aircraft Deliveries Scheduled For 2027: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers

IndiGo placed an order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft on April 25, worth $9 billion, marking its first widebody aircraft purchase after operating two widebody planes on the Delhi-Istanbul route

InterGlobe Aviation's IndiGo has announced plans to begin taking deliveries of widebody Airbus A350 aircraft by 2027, as confirmed by CEO Pieter Elbers during a conference call on April 30. "The exact configuration of the aircraft will be finalised at a later stage, and deliveries are set to begin in 2027," Elbers said.

IndiGo's decision to purchase widebody aircraft comes in response to the underrepresentation and underserved nature of the Indian market. Elbers explained the airline's intention to cater to the untapped Indian international market with the order of 30 Airbus A350 jets, complementing IndiGo's existing A321XLR fleet.

This move aligns with the government's vision of making India a global aviation hub. The low-cost carrier placed an order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft on April 25, worth $9 billion, marking its first widebody aircraft purchase after operating two widebody planes on the Delhi-Istanbul route since February 1, 2023.

IndiGo, operated by parent company InterGlobe Aviation, has the option to acquire up to 70 additional Airbus aircraft. The airline's fleet currently includes 358 aircraft, composed of 312 Airbus A320 family planes, 44 ATR aircraft, and two Boeing 777 planes, allowing the airline to maintain a 60 per cent share in the domestic market.

Elbers also mentioned the potential introduction of dual-class configuration for the A350 aircraft, a decision to be made closer to the aircraft's arrival.

"India is rapidly evolving. The country and its aspirations have changed significantly over the past decade, and we expect further evolution in the next ten years. As our A350 deliveries commence in 2027, we will finalise our product offerings near that time," Elbers explained.

The airline has gained valuable insights from its wet lease operations of two Boeing 777s on the Delhi-Istanbul route over the past 15 months.

IndiGo is currently considering all possible financing options for the A350 aircraft purchase to ensure economic prudence. While the airline has not yet disclosed specific routes for the A350 aircraft, Elbers mentioned their capability to reach destinations in the USA and Europe directly. This latest order follows last year's significant commitment when IndiGo placed the largest single aircraft order ever by any airline, consisting of 500 aircraft from Airbus.