In mega deal, IndiGo to buy 500 Airbus planes

New Delhi, June 19

Budget carrier IndiGo on Monday announced placing a firm order for 500 A320 family planes with European aviation major Airbus.

This is the largest-ever aircraft order placed by any airline with Airbus, the airline said. Financial details of the order were not disclosed.

Historic order

• This is the largest-ever aircraft order placed by any airline with Airbus
• The deal eclipses Air India’s plan to acquire 470 jets from Boeing and Airbus
• Currently, IndiGo operates over 300 aircraft. It has previous orders totalling 480 aircraft, which are yet to be delivered
• The financial details of the deal were not disclosed

The aircraft purchase agreement was signed at the Paris Air Show 2023 in the presence of IndiGo chairman V Sumantran, CEO Pieter Elbers, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International Christian Scherer.

This order will provide IndiGo a further steady stream of deliveries between 2030 and 2035, the Gurugram-based airline said.

Currently, IndiGo operates over 300 aircraft. It has previous orders totalling 480 aircraft, which are yet to be delivered, as per the airline. This IndiGo order book comprises a mix of A320NEO, A321NEO and A321XLR aircraft, it said. IndiGo aircraft order comes months after a rejuvenated Air India under Tata Group placed an order for 470 aircraft with the world’s two top aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus.

“It is difficult to overstate the significance of IndiGo’s new historic order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft. An order book now of almost 1,000 aircraft well into the next decade, enables IndiGo to fulfil its mission to continue to boost economic growth, social cohesion and mobility in India,” said Pieter Elbers, IndiGo CEO.

“We look forward to contributing to the growth of India’s air connectivity in its domestic network and into international markets through the expansion of this formidable partnership,” said Airbus’ Scherer.

The evaluation of the offers was shared and discussed with IndiGo’s Board, and consequently endorsed. This new order will bring the strategic relationship between IndiGo and Airbus to an unprecedented depth and breadth, the airline said.

“IndiGo is further defining its long-term future, well into the next decade, by placing a firm order for 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft,” the airline said. With this new order, since its inception in 2006, IndiGo has ordered a massive total of 1,330 aircraft with Airbus (so far).

With this additional firm order of 500 aircraft for 2030-2035, IndiGo’s order book has almost 1,000 aircraft yet to be delivered well into the next decade, the airline said. The engine selection for this order will be done in due course and so will be the exact mix of A320 and A321 aircraft, according to IndiGo.