IndiGo, India’s largest airline, does not expect to place orders for several years, stating that its current order book is sufficient to support growth until 2035. The carrier plans to decide on its next fleet expansion around 2030 after evaluating the development of next-generation aircraft, Managing Director Rahul Bhatia told news agency PTI.
The airline, which completes 20 years of operations next month, currently operates more than 440 aircraft and has more than 900 planes on order, including Airbus A350-900 wide-body jets. Deliveries are slated through 2035.
Next order to depend on new technology
Explaining why IndiGo is halting fresh aircraft purchases, Bhatia stated the airline wants to evaluate how the next generation of commercial aircraft develops before committing to another large order.
“The reason we have taken a pause right now is that we want to see what happens with next-generation aircraft. Who will launch it and when?” PTI quoted him as saying.
Bhatia said IndiGo is “pretty well set till 2035”, with a decision on fresh aircraft orders expected in the early 2030s. Next-generation aircraft generally refers to planes incorporating advanced technologies and lower emissions.
Long-haul expansion plans continue
The airline has doubled its Airbus A350-900 order to 60 aircraft and also holds options buy another 40. Deliveries are likely to commence in 2028 as IndiGo expands its long-haul international network.
Its fleet currently comprises Airbus A320 family aircraft, ATR turboprops and five Boeing 787 Dreamliners leased from Norway’s Norse Atlantic. The airline also commands more than 66 per cent of India’s domestic aviation market.
“We want to be the early entrant as new technology comes along. We want to embrace that, improve our cost structure and be a more environmentally friendly airline,” Bhatia said.
He further added that IndiGo could exercise its option to purchase another 40 A350s if future fleet warrants a top-up order before next-generation aircraft enter service.
Finance leases to improve flexibility
IndiGo is also shifting from operating leases to finance leases for new aircraft. As per Bhatia, finance leases reduces the airline’s cost structure while providing greater flexibility, as such aircraft can later be converted into operating leases if needed.
In FY26, IndiGo assigned USD 820 million towards aircraft purchases through its GIFT City entity.
Expansion plan remains on track
Unlike many global airlines that have faced aircraft delivery delays because of supply chain disruptions, IndiGo has not been significantly affected, allowing it to continue expanding its domestic and international network.
The airline carried more than 123 million passengers in FY26 and has served over 880 million customers since its launch. It currently operates more than 2,2000 daily flights and plans to further expand international capacity with the induction of Airbus A321XLR aircraft and A350s in the upcoming years