IndiGo Focuses On International Partnerships, Not Airline Alliance, Says CEO
In response to a question about whether IndiGo plans to join an airline alliance, CEO Pieter Elbers clarified that the airline is not focused on this route
IndiGo is set to broaden its international presence with long-haul flights and will prioritise expanding partnerships with foreign carriers, rather than pursuing membership in an airline alliance. CEO Pieter Elbers mentioned that the airline collaborates with various partners across different countries.
"Some of the partners are of SkyTeam, some are of Star Alliance, that is not so relevant for us... these partnerships have different roles and functions in the network... we will expand these partnerships, have more codeshares, reciprocal codeshares and we will further build on these partnerships. (Airline) Alliance is not a priority at this point of time," he told PTI on Tuesday.
Codeshare Partnership
In response to a question about whether IndiGo plans to join an airline alliance, CEO Pieter Elbers clarified that the airline is not focused on this route. Instead, IndiGo is concentrating on expanding its partnerships with international carriers. Currently, IndiGo has codeshare agreements with nine airlines—Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, Air France, KLM, Qantas Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, British Airways, and Japan Airlines. Additionally, the airline holds an interline agreement with JetStar.
A codeshare partnership allows passengers to book through one airline while flying with a partner, issuing a single ticket for the journey. In contrast, an interline agreement involves separate tickets for different legs of a journey, even though passengers receive a single itinerary.
Earlier this month, IndiGo announced plans to launch non-stop long-haul flights to Manchester and Amsterdam starting in July 2025, using leased Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The airline is also assessing several European markets for further long-haul expansions.
With a fleet of over 400 aircraft and 925 more on order, IndiGo continues to grow. Regarding a question about Delhi airport operator DIAL’s proposed variable tariffs, Elbers mentioned that discussions are ongoing, but he emphasized the importance of monitoring cost levels carefully due to the highly competitive nature of the Indian aviation market.
"Given that it is a cost-competitive and price-sensitive market, effective cost levels are important," he noted.
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