IndiGo has partnered with Turkish airlines to expand its reach to Europe and has ordered nearly 500 more aircraft as part of its expansion plan, Vinay Malhotra, head of international sales on Friday, adding that it will help improve passenger services from India to Istanbul and Europe.
IndiGo has ordered aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing, according to airline officials.
The order comes against the backdrop of Air India recently ordering 840 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, with 470 planes and the remaining 370 are options. “The order comprises of 470 firm aircraft, 370 options and purchase rights to be procured from Airbus and Boeing over the next decade,” Nipun Aggrawal, chief commercial and transformation officer, Air India, said in a LinkedIn post.
“IndiGo has ordered 500 more aircraft for the expansion plan. We are currently flying 1,800 flights a day and 10 per cent of them on international routes. Our current international flights are concentrated around the Indian sub-continent and some other countries. The farthest we travel is to Turkey and Istanbul. We have been very keen to fly further and that’s why a partnership with Turkish airlines. This is a codeship partnership, which allows us to penetrate Europe like never before,” he said.
“Competition is always welcomed,” he said about Air India recently buying 470 planes. “As Indian people get a passport the first thing they want to do is fly overseas. There is huge potential for travellers who are aspiring to travel within India or overseas. So we are in the right place at the right time to take people beyond the borders of India.”
“The expansion depends a lot on the frequency and the timing of when we get an aircraft. However, as and when the aircraft is coming, some will be deployed in the domestic market and some overseas,” he said.
In the near future IndiGo will launch two new points, one Nairobi in Kenya and the other Jakarta in Indonesia, Malhotra said.
“We offer the best connectivity to Europe and IndiGo assures people of hassle-free in carrier service, on-time performance and affordable fares,” he said.