The country's largest airline IndiGo has announced placing an order for 30 wide-body A350-900 planes in a significant move.
The airline, which is expanding its international presence, has till now been operating only narrow-body Airbus aircraft except for two Boeing 777 planes leased from Turkish Airlines for operations on the Istanbul route.
The airliner has 60 percent of the Indian aviation market and aims to double its capacity by 2030 and looking forward to expand its network internationally.
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In a release, the carrier said it has entered the wide-body space with an order for 30 firm Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
A PTI report said that these planes will be powered by Rolls Royce's Trent XWB engine while the exact configuration of the aircraft will be decided at a later stage. The deliveries of the wide-body aircraft are expected to start from 2027.
In addition to the 30 firm A350-900 order, IndiGo has purchase rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 family aircraft, at its discretion, for possible future needs under certain conditions, it said.
Currently, IndiGo operates over 350 aircraft. In June last year, IndiGo placed the largest ever single aircraft order by any airline for 500 aircraft with Airbus.
"IndiGo agreed to place an order for 30 Firm A350-900 aircraft, which will enable IndiGo to spread its wings further and expand its network. From the various Indian metros, IndiGo will be able to connect to the world. The aircraft will be powered by Rolls Royce's Trent XWB engine," a statement by the airline said.
"The mission capability of this aircraft coupled with the efficiency of the Trent XWB engine will offer IndiGo unprecedented optionality as it embarks on the next stage of its wonderful journey of addressing the rapidly evolving needs of the Indian customer and our nation," it added.