Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, on Monday (August 5) spoke on the rapid evolution of the aviation sector in India and highlighted IndiGo’s readiness to adapt to changing customer needs. He also noted that IndiGo is preparing to meet the evolving needs of Indian customers.
He also announced that IndiGo will expand its fleet to include wide-body Airbus A350-900 aircraft by 2027, further enhancing its service offerings.
“The very foundation of IndiGo is those three customer promises, on-time performance, affordable fares, courtesy and hassle-free service…You’ll find a business class for us which is adjusted to that courtesy and hassle-free service. So we put things in the business class which are important for our customers. We invest in the important things, and we leave aside the things that are not important,” said Elbers.
IndiGo caters to 88 domestic and 33 international destinations
As IndiGo celebrates its 18th anniversary, Elbers shared that the airline now serves 100 million customers and operates flights to 88 domestic and 33 international destinations.
“We are celebrating 18 years and these 18 years have been a wonderful and amazing journey for IndiGo. Today, we welcome 100 million customers on board our flights. We fly to 88 destinations in the nation itself and 33 international,” he said.
Business-class services now in IndiGo
IndiGo has announced the launch of its business-class services, marking a significant shift from its traditional no-frills model. Beginning in November, business-class services will be introduced on 12 major domestic routes, with bookings opening immediately. This new offering reflects IndiGo’s commitment to enhancing customer experience while maintaining its core values of on-time performance, affordability, and hassle-free service.
Elbers noted that the decision to introduce business class comes at a crucial time, as the market’s needs have evolved over the past few years. The airline plans to roll out this service across its routes within the next year.
“I think it’s right on time. For an airline, you should be in the market at the right moment at the right time. Whatever has happened in India over the past 2-3 years is probably accelerated in terms of those needs. We feel that by introducing it now and having it live before the end of the year, at IndiGo we love to announce things and then actually do it and implement it and that spirit is there. So we made the announcement, it’s going to be on sale from tomorrow. The first flight will be operational in the middle of November and then in the next 12 months, we roll it out through all the routes where we will fly this product,” Elbers said.
“While bookings will open immediately, the new business class service, however, will be available for travel beginning only this November. This move represents a major departure for IndiGo, which has built its reputation on providing affordable, no-frills service,” he added.