IndiGo plans to develop multiple international connecting hubs across India in line with the delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 widebody aircraft starting in 2027, according to CEO Pieter Elbers.
Speaking on an April 30 conference call—days after signing a firm order for 30 A350-900s with an option for 70 more—Elbers highlighted the potential for several hubs that will help to position the country as a “global aviation powerhouse.”
“We have a very strong presence, not only in Delhi and Mumbai, but also in Bangalore and Hyderabad,” he said. “And, given the size and geographical location of India, one could see a network developing with different strongholds in different parts of the country. We clearly have ideas about where to go and how to develop it.”
Elbers said IndiGo already offers several domestic-to-international connections as well as some international-to-international connectivity, citing flights from Tbilisi, Georgia, to Phuket, Thailand, via Delhi. However, he stressed that Indian carriers are significantly under-represented in the widebody, long-haul market.
“If you were to differentiate between international markets in the four-hour range and beyond the six-hour range, you’ll see a linear decline of the market share of Indian carriers,” Elbers said. “Against that backdrop, this is a natural evolution to bring that market share back to levels which are more common in other parts of the world.”
The A350 order brings IndiGo’s total backlog to nearly 1,000 aircraft. According to the Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database, the LCC already has 950 A320neo-family aircraft on order as well as five ATRs. The narrowbody order includes A320neo, A321neo, and A321XLR aircraft, with the first A321XLRs due to enter the airline’s fleet in 2025.
Elbers said the seating configuration of the A350s would be announced at a later stage but noted that IndiGo was “keeping all options open” regarding the onboard product.
“Our business model is evolving as per the needs of our customers, the market size, and the opportunities,” he said. “The India of today is not the same India as it was 10 years ago, and the India 10 years from now will not be the same as India of today.”
Elbers said that IndiGo aims to deploy 30% of seat capacity on international routes, up from 27% currently. This is expected to grow further with the induction of A321XLRs and A350s.
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