Indigo Eyes 500+ Aircraft Order

Within India, airlines continue to plot significant orders for aircraft and seemingly attempt to underdo each other with new flashy announcements.

Indigo could be the next customer to steal the throne from Air India. The flag carrier recently ordered hundreds of aircraft as the low-cost company plots its mammoth commitment to aircraft.

Discussions surrounding the airline’s order have been long in the headlines. An order that could be placed towards the third quarter of this year. Executives are reportedly targeting an announcement at the 2023 Paris Airshow hosted in June.

These comments from the French Finance Minister potentially indicate that commitments could come for a reported several hundred Airbus aircraft. Subsequently, it would be one of the most significant announcements of the airshow.

Boeing and Airbus will be put against each other for orders of more than 500 jets, as reported by industry sources, Reuters and more. Five hundred firm orders, if secured, would be more than Air India’s previously announced order in February which also broke records at the time.

In addition, Akasa Air, another independent and newly launched Indian carrier, is also eyeing a significant commitment to aircraft. It’s a busy time for the industry, and as I often described, it’s a gold mine for aircraft manufacturers who o can secure big contracts if they win over the respective airline.

Indigo’s order wouldn’t likely consist of only narrowbody aircraft. For many years the airline has openly expressed interest in acquiring widebodies to expand its operations to more international destinations.

Years back, the A330neo was probably the aircraft acting as a front runner. However, nothing at that point was fabricated to be anything firm. That could be looking to change.

Any plans to expand its international network and add potentially widebody aircraft puts additional pressure on Air India, which is hoping to turn around its fortunes. Facing competition from airlines such as Indigo might see it as a more challenging path than expected.