New Delhi: As IndiGo placed a large order of 500 planes with Airbus, the airline’s CEO Pieter Elbers on Monday said it is a historic moment for Indian aviation and also prepares the carrier for the future.
IndiGo, the no-frills airline that started flying more than 16 years ago, on Monday placed a firm order for 500 narrow-body planes with Airbus.
This is the largest ever single aircraft order placed by any airline with Airbus.
It is a timely order and prepares the airline for the future. “We are securing our future,” Elbers said during an online briefing soon after announcing the aircraft order.
This is a historic moment for Indian aviation and speaks of the future of India and IndiGo, Elbers said while speaking from Toulouse in France.
Without disclosing the financial details of the order, the IndiGo chief said there is a planning horizon for 10 years and the airline can work on the long-term vision of the Indian government.
He noted that there is plenty of time to decide on the exact mix of planes in the order.
IndiGo is to purchase A320 NEO, A321 NEO and A321 XLR aircraft.
To a specific query about the financial planning for the latest order, Elbers said, “We still have a lot of time to evaluate all options and modalities”.
Aviation is all about long-term planning and India is today at the heart of international aviation, Elbers said.
Currently, IndiGo operates more than 300 aircraft. It has previous orders totalling 480 aircraft, which are to be delivered between today and the end of this decade.
“With this additional firm order of 500 aircraft for 2030-2035, IndiGo’s order book has almost 1,000 aircraft yet to be delivered well into the next decade,” the airline said in a release.
