IndiGo Targets International Growth Over Two Years
IndiGo has highlighted plans to leverage its domestic strength and partnerships as it targets having 30% of its capacity operating on international routes over the next two years.
The ambition was disclosed in an analyst presentation that the carrier posted to the BSE.
The slides show that IndiGo currently holds a 16% share of the international market from India, while its share of international ASKs as a proportion of its total is around 23%.
Cirium schedules data shows that the airline already operates on 71 international routes from India, with Chennai-Singapore its biggest route, by both seat capacity and ASMs.
That compares to its domestic network that has 78 domestic destinations, the presentation shows.
A key part of the planned international growth will come through the addition of Airbus A321XLRs to its fleet, which will allow it to push into medium-haul destinations. Cirium fleets data indicates that the first of 30 it has on order are due in 2024.
IndiGo also indicated it plans to build more partnerships with other carriers, on top of the seven it already has.
Most of those partnerships with carriers including Qatar Airways, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas are one-way codeshares that allow those carriers to gain feed from IndiGo’s extensive domestic network.
Under its two-way partnership with Turkish Airlines, IndiGo has 30 codeshare destinations, mostly in Europe, connected via its partner’s Istanbul hub.
The airline recently introduced the first of three Boeing 777-300ERs under a wet-lease arrangement with Turkish Airlines on the Delhi-Istanbul route, which will be extended to the Mumbai-Istanbul route at a later date.
There have been recent reports that IndiGo may follow in the footsteps of compatriot Air India and announce another major aircraft order, potentially including widebody aircraft.
In early March the airline hosed down the speculation, saying: "We constantly evaluate and discuss opportunities with aircraft manufacturers, but at this stage, it's pure speculation."
Cirium fleets data shows that it has 501 aircraft already on order, comprised of the 30 A321XLRs, 280 A321ACFs, 180 A320neos and 11 ATR 72-600s.