IndiGo's head of planning and revenue management, Abhijit DasGupta (right), on stage with Aviation Week's David Casey (left) at Routes Asia 2025.
PERTH, Australia—Indian carrier IndiGo believes its future fleet of Airbus A321XLR narrowbody aircraft offers unique route development opportunities and a compelling business case.
With 40 aircraft firmly ordered and options for 30 more, the XLRs, alongside widebody aircraft, underpin the LCC’s international expansion.
Speaking at Routes Asia 2025 here in Perth, IndiGo's head of planning and revenue management, Abhijit DasGupta, said the aircraft will enable new types of route combinations within the airline’s network.
DasGupta explained that the XLRs will open new routes to Eastern Europe and East Asia, expanding beyond IndiGo's “very bullish” regional market of flights up to 5 hr., which can be served by conventional A320-family aircraft. The XLRs will also enable IndiGo to connect existing international destinations to new points in India, such as Bali–Mumbai and Bali–New Delhi, routes currently served only from Bangalore.
IndiGo expects to take delivery of its first A321XLR during the fiscal year running from April 2025 to March 2026.
For years, Indian passengers have traveled through foreign hubs to reach markets in Europe, North America and Australia. IndiGo aims to better serve these passengers by offering direct routes using widebody aircraft. The airline recently wet-leased four Boeing 787s from Norse Atlantic Airways, which DasGupta described as crucial for building operational experience and capabilities—such as engineering and revenue management—before the arrival of the first of its 30 A350-900s.
IndiGo is also working closely with Noida International Airport near New Delhi and Navi Mumbai Airport—two major greenfield airport developments. DasGupta believes these air gateways will provide the flexibility for IndiGo to custom-design connectivity, although the exact nature of this is yet to be determined.
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