India's IndiGo doubles Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft order to 60 planes

Dubai: IndiGo has doubled down on its long-haul ambitions, signing a contract with Airbus today for 30 additional A350-900 aircraft, bringing its total wide-body order to 60 planes.

The deal converts 30 of the airline's 70 existing purchase rights into firm orders, leaving it with options on 40 more aircraft. The move represents a significant bet on India's growing aviation market and the airline's push to establish itself as a global competitor.

"Today is a special day for IndiGo as we solidify our commitment to expanding our international footprint," said Pieter Elbers, IndiGo's chief executive. "The conversion of this MoU into a firm order for 30 additional A350-900s is a testament to our confidence in the future of Indian aviation and our strategic partnership with Airbus."

The order caps a rapid expansion into long-haul flying. IndiGo placed its initial order for 30 A350s just last April—its first wide-body purchase—and has already launched European routes including Manchester and Amsterdam, with Copenhagen, London, and Athens to follow.

The aircraft are powered by Rolls-Royce's Trent XWB engines, known for fuel efficiency. The combination will give IndiGo "enhanced operational flexibility" as it pursues routes to the Americas and beyond, the airline said.

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus's executive vice-president for sales, called IndiGo "one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world" and said the order "reinforces our strong partnership" and commitment to supporting the airline's expansion into new long-haul markets.

For IndiGo, which operates over 2,200 daily flights across 90 domestic and 40 international destinations with a fleet exceeding 400 aircraft, the expansion into long-haul flying represents the next growth phase.

With an order book of nearly 900 aircraft including narrow-body A320 and A321 variants, IndiGo is betting big that demand from India's expanding middle class—and from international travellers seeking connections—will justify the investment in long-haul capacity.