PARIS – As rumored in recent weeks, during the first day of the Paris Air Show, IndiGo and Airbus announced an agreement for the purchase of 500 aircraft from the A320neo family.
This figure makes the agreement the largest in the history of commercial aviation, and it will bring IndiGo’s order book to an unprecedented number of 1,330 aircraft.
“It is difficult to overstate the significance of IndiGo’s new historic order for 500 airbus a320. An order book now of almost 1000 aircraft well into the next decade enables IndiGo to fulfil its mission to continue to boost economic growth, social cohesion and mobility in India,” said Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo.
“This landmark order marks a new chapter in Aribus and IndiGo’s relationship that is democratising affordable air travel for millions of people in the world’s fastest growing aviation market”, said Christian Scherer, Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer.
“It is also a resounding endorsement of the A320 Family’s best-in-class operating economics that have been powering IndiGo’s growth for almost two decades. We cherish or long-standing relationship with IndiGo and are proud of our success together. We look forward to contributing to the growth of India’s air connectivity in its domestic network and into international markets through the expansion of this formidable partnership”, he added.
IndiGo’s current fleet consists of 162 A320neo, 79 A321neo, 21 A320ceo, and 2 A321 freighters. The airline’s first order with Airbus was in 2005 for 100 A320 aircraft, followed by an additional order of 180 in 2011. In 2014, IndiGo confirmed an order for 250 A320neo, and in 2019, they placed another order for 300 aircraft.
At the press conference following the announcement, in which Aviacionline participated, the executives explained that deliveries will take place after 2030, without detailing for the moment how the versions (A320, A321, A321XLR) will be distributed.
When asked about Air India, its major local competitor, Pieter Elbers said that “it is natural to compete with Air India, but we are betting on growth. The key is to target the low penetration of air transport compared to the population”.
To meet the growing demand, Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, said that they aspire to reach a production rate of 75 aircraft from the A320 family per month, but extending that rate beyond is premature.
The manufacturer is currently not considering installing a production line for that family in India, although they are expanding there with engineering, design, and airworthiness management areas, in addition to setting up a line for the C295. However, by 2026, they aim to have 10 production lines worldwide, all ready for the A321, not the A320.
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