IndiGo to start non-stop flights to 10 int'l destinations in FY26: CEO

IndiGo will launch non-stop flights to 10 global cities including London, Amsterdam and four in Central Asia by FY26, backed by Boeing 787s and A321XLR aircraft

IndiGo plans to launch non-stop flights to 10 new international destinations in 2025–26 (FY26), including Manchester and London in the UK, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Copenhagen in Denmark, Siem Reap in Cambodia, Athens in Greece, and four cities in Central Asia, its Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers said on Friday.

 

“IndiGo currently serves 40 international destinations. By the end of FY26, we aim to expand this to 50,” Elbers said at a press conference. He added that the expansion will be supported by the recently leased Boeing 787 aircraft and the Airbus A321XLR planes, which are expected to join the fleet in the latter part of FY26.

   

The A321XLR is a new long-range narrow-body aircraft developed by Airbus. It is slated to enter commercial service globally in the second half of FY26. Elbers did not mention the names of the Central Asian cities that would be connected via IndiGo flights in FY26.

 

Responding to a question on whether IndiGo might consider joining one of the three major global airline alliances — Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam — Elbers said the airline currently sees more value in building bilateral codeshare partnerships rather than joining a formal global grouping.

 

“We’re having partnerships with different airlines from different parts of the world. If it makes sense for the two parties, we can do the partnership... We have no short-term ambitions — or no ambitions, actually — at this point in time to move into an alliance,” he said.

 

He explained that while Indian carriers currently account for about 45 per cent of India’s international passenger traffic, the figure is significantly lower on certain routes, particularly to Europe. “In some parts of the world, it’s a 50-50 share, but for Europe, for example, it’s more like 70 per cent of traffic on European operators and just 30 per cent on Indian operators... So the opportunity to expand in that region is just very obvious for us," he added. 

 

There are three major global airline alliances in the world: Star Alliance (featuring Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Air India, among others), SkyTeam (which includes Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Korean Air), and oneworld (featuring British Airways, Qatar Airways, and American Airlines). These alliances allow member airlines to coordinate schedules, share airport lounges, offer reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, and simplify global ticketing and connections.

 

A year ago, IndiGo — for the first time — placed an order for wide-body aircraft, ordering 30 Airbus A350 planes. These are scheduled to join IndiGo’s fleet from 2027 onwards.

 

Elbers ruled out the possibility of advancing the delivery schedule for the A350s, saying the production and allocation of such aircraft follow a rigid timeline.

 

“Wide-bodies have a very different structure compared to narrow-bodies,” Elbers said, when asked whether the A350 deliveries could be brought forward to accelerate IndiGo’s international expansion.

 

“I wish I could just pick up the phone and say, ‘You know what, switch a few — I won’t take these (narrow-bodies), I’ll take those (wide-bodies).’ But it doesn’t work like that,” he added.

 

Using a culinary metaphor, he stated, “It’s not like switching from a samosa to a paneer tikka — you can’t just do it instantly. There’s a lead time involved, and the production schedule is already very tight and optimised.”

  Elbers noted that the decision to place the wide-body order in 2024 was a timely move. “I’m very glad we made the A350 order last year, which will allow us to induct those aircraft from 2027. But yes, you’re right — India is in a hurry, and so is IndiGo.”