IndiGo’s foray into the long haul international market is a big boost for the government’s plan to transform India’s airports into major hubs in the region.
A hub airport is used by one or more airlines to concentrate passenger traffic. These hubs serve as important transfer points, allowing travellers to reach their destinations through an extensive network of flights, offering a wide range of routes to choose from.
On Thursday, IndiGo, which has more than 60% share of India’s domestic market, placed an order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, marking its first order for wide-body aircraft in an effort to expand from offering only short-haul flights into a company which dominates long haul travel in the region.
IndiGo will build hubs in India, non-stop connecting its strongholds in the Indian metros to destinations all over the globe, CEO Pieter Elbers said in a memo to employees after placing the order.
“These new wide body aircraft will really be the next step in our ambition to become a global aviation player. We will be connecting and supporting the nation by building India into an aviation hub and power house, and be the airline of choice for our customers from Ahmedabad to Amsterdam, from Surat to Seoul, and from Patna to Paris,” Elbers wrote in the memo, which was seen by ET.
India is framing a national policy to transform its airports into major international hubs that will offer single-point international connectivity to the South Asian region.
In FY20, 69% of Indian passengers flying to Europe and North America travelled through hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha on foreign airlines and the government wants to funnel that traffic to Indian airports.
The policy, which will need cabinet approval, aims to frame laws for easing security and immigration bottlenecks at airports, allocation of international flying rights and building necessary infrastructure so that airports like Delhi can become transit hubs competing with the likes of Dubai and Singapore’s Changi Airport, people involved in making the policy said.
The manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the favourite to win the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, has suggested that they intend to build a master plan to convert airports into regional international hubs.
IndiGo’s decision to enter the challenging business of operating wide body aircraft comes after years of consideration, which first started in 2018.
For long the airline’s management wasn’t confident enough that it could fill up a wide body aircraft which will at least have double the number of seats than the 186- seater Airbus A320 plane which it operates.
But IndiGo’s leadership is now convinced that with a firm leadership position in India’s domestic market, the airline should now use this position to become a leader in the international market.
“We have a very solid foundation in the Indian market and from there we are reaching further and further. This is India’s time and IndiGo’s too! We have expanded our international network recently already quite significantly,” Elbers said in the letter.
The airline is also awaiting the induction of the Airbus A321 XLR aircraft which is a longer range version of the existing A320 family aircraft. Yet, Elbers said the wide body aircraft order will be the next step in our ambition to become a global aviation player.
“This is India’s time and IndiGo’s too,” Elbers wrote.
A hub airport is used by one or more airlines to concentrate passenger traffic. These hubs serve as important transfer points, allowing travellers to reach their destinations through an extensive network of flights, offering a wide range of routes to choose from.
On Thursday, IndiGo, which has more than 60% share of India’s domestic market, placed an order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, marking its first order for wide-body aircraft in an effort to expand from offering only short-haul flights into a company which dominates long haul travel in the region.
IndiGo will build hubs in India, non-stop connecting its strongholds in the Indian metros to destinations all over the globe, CEO Pieter Elbers said in a memo to employees after placing the order.
“These new wide body aircraft will really be the next step in our ambition to become a global aviation player. We will be connecting and supporting the nation by building India into an aviation hub and power house, and be the airline of choice for our customers from Ahmedabad to Amsterdam, from Surat to Seoul, and from Patna to Paris,” Elbers wrote in the memo, which was seen by ET.
India is framing a national policy to transform its airports into major international hubs that will offer single-point international connectivity to the South Asian region.
In FY20, 69% of Indian passengers flying to Europe and North America travelled through hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha on foreign airlines and the government wants to funnel that traffic to Indian airports.
The policy, which will need cabinet approval, aims to frame laws for easing security and immigration bottlenecks at airports, allocation of international flying rights and building necessary infrastructure so that airports like Delhi can become transit hubs competing with the likes of Dubai and Singapore’s Changi Airport, people involved in making the policy said.
The manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the favourite to win the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, has suggested that they intend to build a master plan to convert airports into regional international hubs.
IndiGo’s decision to enter the challenging business of operating wide body aircraft comes after years of consideration, which first started in 2018.
For long the airline’s management wasn’t confident enough that it could fill up a wide body aircraft which will at least have double the number of seats than the 186- seater Airbus A320 plane which it operates.
But IndiGo’s leadership is now convinced that with a firm leadership position in India’s domestic market, the airline should now use this position to become a leader in the international market.
“We have a very solid foundation in the Indian market and from there we are reaching further and further. This is India’s time and IndiGo’s too! We have expanded our international network recently already quite significantly,” Elbers said in the letter.
The airline is also awaiting the induction of the Airbus A321 XLR aircraft which is a longer range version of the existing A320 family aircraft. Yet, Elbers said the wide body aircraft order will be the next step in our ambition to become a global aviation player.
“This is India’s time and IndiGo’s too,” Elbers wrote.
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