IndiGo

IndiGo

IndiGo

Indian low-cost airline

This article is about the Indian airline. For the American airline, see Indigo Airlines (American airline). For the colour, see Indigo. For other uses, see Indigo (disambiguation).

InterGlobe Aviation Limited, doing business as IndiGo, is a low-cost airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 60.5% domestic market share as of March 2024. It is the largest individual Asian airline, and one of the largest in the world in terms of passengers carried, with more than 100 million passengers carried in 2023. As of April 2024, IndiGo operates over 2,000 daily flights to 122 destinations – 88 domestic and 34 international, with a fleet of over 350 aircraft. It has its primary hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.

Quick Facts IATA, ICAO ...

The airline was founded as a private company by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal in 2006. It took delivery of its first aircraft in July 2006 and commenced operations a month later. The airline became the largest Indian carrier by passenger market share in 2012. The company went public in November 2015. IndiGo was ranked as the fifteenth most punctual airline globally in 2022 by OAG.

History

IndiGo was founded in 2006 as a private company by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal, a United States-based expatriate Indian.[3] InterGlobe had a 51.12% stake in IndiGo and 47.88% was held by Gangwal's Virginia-based company, Caelum Investments.[4][5] IndiGo placed a firm order for 100 Airbus A320-200 aircraft in June 2005 with plans to begin operations in mid-2006.[6] IndiGo took delivery of its first aircraft on 28 July 2006, nearly a year after placing the order.[7] It commenced operations on 4 August 2006 with a service from New Delhi to Imphal via Guwahati.[8] By the end of 2006, the airline had six aircraft, and nine more were acquired in 2007.[8] In December 2010, IndiGo replaced state-run carrier Air India as the third largest airline in India, behind Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways with a passenger market share of 17.3%.[9]

In 2011, IndiGo placed an order for 180 Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal worth US$15 billion.[10] In January 2011, after completing five years of operations, the airline was permitted to launch international flights.[11] In December 2011, the DGCA expressed reservations that the rapid expansion could impact passenger safety.[12]

In February 2012, IndiGo took delivery of its 50th aircraft, less than six years after it began operations.[13] For the quarter ending March 2012, IndiGo was the most profitable airline in India and became the second largest airline in India in terms of passenger market share.[14] On 17 August 2012, IndiGo became the largest airline in India in terms of market share surpassing Jet Airways, six years after commencing operations.[15]

In January 2013, IndiGo was the second-fastest-growing low-cost carrier in Asia behind Indonesian airline Lion Air.[16] In February 2013, following the announcement of the Civil Aviation Ministry that it would allow IndiGo to take delivery of only five aircraft that year, the airline planned to introduce low-cost regional flights by setting up a subsidiary. Later, IndiGo announced that it planned to seek permission from the ministry to acquire four more aircraft, therefore taking delivery of nine aircraft in 2013.[17] As of March 2014, IndiGo is the second-largest low-cost carrier in Asia in terms of seats flown.[18]

In August 2015, IndiGo placed an order for 250 Airbus A320neo aircraft worth $27 billion, making it the largest single order ever in Airbus history.[19] IndiGo announced a ₹3,018 crore (equivalent to ₹36 billion or US$440 million in 2023) initial public offering on 19 October 2015 which opened on 27 October 2015.[20][21][22]

In October 2019, IndiGo placed an order for 300 Airbus A320neo aircraft worth ₹2.3 lakh crore (US$29 billion), surpassing its own record of the largest single order ever in Airbus history.[23][24] In December 2019, the airline became the first Indian airline to operate 1,500 daily flights.[25] On 31 December 2019, it became India's first airline to have a fleet size of more than 250 aircraft.[26]

In January 2023, the airline became the first Indian airline to have a fleet size of more than 300 aircraft.[27] In February 2023, the airline inducted the first wide-body aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER to its fleet.[28] In June 2023, the airline placed an order for 500 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, making it the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history.[29] As of November 2023, IndiGo had a 61.8% domestic market share.[30] In December 2023, IndiGo became the first Indian airline to have ferried more than 100 million passengers in a calendar year.[31]

Corporate affairs

IndiGo uses as an indigo-sky blue livery as seen on the Airbus A320 aircraft

IndiGo is headquartered in Gurgaon, India.[32] The company is publicly listed under the moniker NSE: INDIGO.[33]

Logo and livery

Twenty dots arranged in the shape of an aircraft serves as the logo of the airline.[34] The airline uses a two tone blue livery on a white background with the belly of the aircraft painted in Indigo with the logo in white.[35] The flight attendants wear a single-piece navy-blue tunic with a cap and a thin indigo belt.[36] The airline has the tagline on-time focusing on punctuality.[36]

Financials

More information Year ...

Operations

IndiGo became one of the fastest growing low cost carriers in the world and the largest airline in India.[16] The success of IndiGo has been attributed to its unique business model which reduces costs.[14] The airline operates a single type of aircraft (Airbus A320) in similar seating configuration which simplifies crew training and maintenance.[14] The airline strikes bulk deals with Airbus reducing unit costs.[14] The airline targets a quick turn-around time of 20 minutes to get the aircraft ready for the next flight, ensuring planes fly about 12 hours every day.[45] Employees share multiple roles with a check-in staff doubling as baggage handlers.[45] In July 2023, Indian aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation imposed a ₹30 lakh (US$38,000) fine on IndiGo for certain systemic deficiencies concerning documentation pertaining to operations, training, and engineering procedures.[46]

More information Particulars ...

Destinations

Countries in which IndiGo operates as of April 2024[49]
Main article: List of IndiGo destinations

As of April 2024, IndiGo operates more than 2,000 daily flights to 122 destinations, 88 in India and 34 abroad.[50][51][52] Its main base is located at Delhi,[53] with additional bases at Bangalore,[54] Chennai,[55] Hyderabad,[56] Kolkata,[55] Mumbai,[55] and Kochi.[57] In January 2011, IndiGo received a license to operate international flights after completing five years of operations.[58] IndiGo's first international service was launched between New Delhi and Dubai on 1 September 2011.[59][60]

Codeshare agreements

IndiGo codeshares with the following airlines:

Fleet

Airbus A320neo
Airbus A320-200
Airbus A321neo
ATR 72-600

As of March 2024, IndiGo operates the following aircraft:[68][69]

More information Aircraft, In service ...

Fleet developments

IndiGo placed an order for 100 Airbus A320-200 aircraft worth US$6 billion in June 2005 during the Paris Air Show with plans to commence operations in mid-2006.[6][75][76] The airline received its first A320 in July 2006 and planned to induct 100 aircraft by 2015–2016.[77] IndiGo signed a memorandum of understanding for an additional 180 Airbus A320 aircraft including 150 with the New Engine Option (NEO) worth US$15 billion on 11 January 2011. In 2012, the airline took delivery of its 50th aircraft[13] and the 100th aircraft was delivered on 4 November 2014, completing its initial order ahead of schedule.[78]

The Airbus A320neo family aircraft ordered in 2011 were to be delivered starting 2015.[79] However, due to a delay in the production and delivery of these aircraft, IndiGo dry-leased a total of 22 used aircraft to cope with the demand.[80] On 15 October 2014, IndiGo expressed its intention to order a further 250 A320neo aircraft worth US$25.7 billion at list prices.[81] On 15 August 2015, IndiGo confirmed the order for 250 A320neo aircraft for $26.5 billion. The order also provides IndiGo the flexibility to convert some A320neos to A321neoLRs that can seat more passengers and fly on longer routes.[82] The order for 250 jets was Airbus' single largest order by number of aircraft.[83] IndiGo received the first A320neo in March 2016.[84][85] On 10 October 2019, Airbus delivered its 1000th A320neo aircraft to IndiGo.[86]

In May 2017, IndiGo tentatively signed for 50 ATR 72-600 for the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, to be delivered from the year end for up to 20 by the end of 2018.[87] IndiGo took delivery of its first ATR 72-600 on 17 November 2017.[88] On 29 October 2019, IndiGo placed a firm order for 300 A320neo Family aircraft comprising a mix of 87 A320neo, 144 A321neo and 69 A321XLR, taking IndiGo's total number of A320neo Family aircraft orders to 730.[89]

In May 2023, IndiGo inducted its first wide-body aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER wet leased from Turkish Airlines.[90] In June 2023, the airline placed an order for 500 Airbus A320neo family aircraft worth $55 billion excluding potential bulk-order concessions.[91] It is the largest single aircraft order in commercial aviation history with deliveries between 2030 and 2035.[29]

Services

An IndiGo in-flight snack of biscuits supplied in a souvenir biscuit tin

Being a low-cost carrier, IndiGo offers only economy class seating. To keep fares low, IndiGo does not provide complimentary meals in any of its flights, though it does have a buy-on board in-flight meal programme.[92] No in-flight entertainment is available and Hello 6E is the in-flight magazine published by IndiGo.[93] IndiGo offers premium services, where the passengers can avail additional benefits like a pre-assigned seat, multiple cancellations and priority check-in at a higher fare.[94] In September 2019, the company announced its tie up with SonyLIV, an on demand video app for providing its passengers with entertainment options in-flight and at the airport.[95]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "IndiGo Leadership". IndiGo. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  2. [2]
    Annual Trends (Report). 7 June 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  3. [3]
    "Owner of India's biggest airline files for IPO". CNBC. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  4. [4]
    Padnis, Anees (16 November 2013). "IndiGo gives handsome payback to promoters". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  5. [5]
    "FIPB approves proposal to convert Rakesh Gangwal's IndiGo stake to NRI category". The Economic Times. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  6. [6]
    "IndiGo Airlines to fly soon". The Economic Times. 22 June 2005. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  7. [7]
    "IndiGo takes delivery of its first brand new Airbus A320 aircraft". The Hindu. 29 July 2006. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  8. [8]
    "Indigo's first flight to take-off on Aug 4". The Economic Times. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  9. [9]
    "IndiGo pips Air India to become No. 3 airline". The Indian Express. 21 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 January 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  10. [10]
    "IndiGo airline picks up 180 jets". The Economic Times. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  11. [11]
    "IndiGo gets govt nod to launch international operations". Rediff. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  12. [12]
    "IndiGo, SpiceJet airlines violate mandatory safety norms: DGCA". India Today. 9 January 2012. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  13. [13]
    "IndiGo gets delivery of its 50th Airbus A320 aircraft". The Economic Times. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  14. [14]
    Mishra, Mihir (21 February 2012). "A tale of two airlines: Kingfisher vs IndiGo". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  15. [15]
    "IndiGo flies past Jet to become largest airline". Business Standard. 18 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  16. [16]
    "IndiGo among the fastest expanding airlines globally". Business Standard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  17. [17]
    "IndiGo to set up regional airline to tap small towns". The Economic Times. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  18. [18]
    Sobhie, Brent. "Analyst Viewpoint: Asian airline industry overview" (PDF). CAPA. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  19. [19]
    "IndiGo orders 250 planes". The Times of India. 18 August 2015. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  20. [20]
    "IndiGo Airlines IPO to open on October 27, price band Rs 700-765". The Economic Times. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  21. [21]
    S V Krishnamachari (21 November 2016). "Domestic air traffic: How IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, Air India, Go Air, AirAsia India, Vistara performed in October". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  22. [22]
    "IndiGo's Rs 3,018-crore IPO three times oversubscribed". The Economic Times. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  23. [23]
    "IndiGo Orders Further 300 A320neo Aircraft". One Mile at a Home. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  24. [24]
    Sinha, Saurabh (31 October 2019). "IndiGo gives Rs 2.4 lakh crore order for 300 A320 Neo aircraft". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  25. [25]
    "IndiGo becomes 1st Indian carrier to operate 1,500 daily flights". Livemint. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  26. [26]
    "IndiGo fleet size crosses 250 planes, becomes first Indian carrier to do so". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  27. [27]
    Dwivedi, Manas (7 January 2023). "IndiGo's fleet gets 300 aircraft strong, becomes first Indian airline to achieve the milestone". The Economic Times. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  28. [28]
    "IndiGo inducts its first widebody aircraft - Boeing 777 on Delhi-Istanbul route" (Press release). IndiGo. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  29. [29]
    "Largest Aircraft Order: IndiGo Places Order For 500 Airbus Neo Family Planes". News18. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  30. [30]
    November 2023 Domestic Traffic Reports (PDF) (Report). Directorate General of Civil Aviation. p. 3. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  31. [31]
    Sharma, Sukalp (18 December 2023). "IndiGo becomes first Indian airline to touch 100 million passengers in a year". The Indian Express. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  32. [32]
    "Contact us". IndiGo. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  33. [33]
    "InterGlobe Aviation Limited Share Price". National Stock Exchange of India. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  34. [34]
    "IndiGo Experience". IndiGo. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  35. [35]
    "The man behind IndiGo's amazing success". Rediff. 8 February 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  36. [36]
    Saxton, Aditi (17 February 2011). "The IndiGo brand story". CNN. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  37. [37]
    IndiGo Annual Report 2016 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  38. [38]
    IndiGo Annual Report 2017 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  39. [39]
    IndiGo Annual Report 2018 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  40. [40]
    IndiGo Annual Report 2018-19 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  41. [41]
    IndiGo Annual Report 2019-20 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  42. [42]
    IndiGo Annual Report 2020-21 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  43. [43]
    IndiGo Annual Report 2021-22 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  44. [44]
    IndiGo Annual Report 2022-23 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  45. [45]
    Mehta, Vivan (24 June 2012). "Soaring above the rest". Business Today. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  46. [46]
    The Indian Express, The Indian Express (28 July 2023). "DGCA imposes Rs 30 lakh fine on IndiGo". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  47. [47]
    IndiGo: passenger traffic 2023. Statista (Report). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  48. [48]
    Bureau, BL Mumbai (30 July 2023). "IndiGo slashes carbon emissions by 20% in FY23 through sustainable measures". The Hindu. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  49. [49]
    "Route map IndiGo". Flight Connections. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  50. [50]
    Sinha, Saurabh (17 November 2023). "IndiGo becomes 1st desi airline to have over 2,000 planned flights daily". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  51. [51]
    "IndiGo is back with a bang, looking to start flights to many international destinations: CEO Pieter Elbers". The Economic Times. 17 February 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  52. [52]
    "IndiGo commences operations from Ayodhya, its 86th domestic destination". IndiGo (Press release). 6 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  53. [53]
    "Profile on IndiGo". CAPA. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  54. [54]
    "IndiGo adds to Bengaluru base". Anna.aero. 16 February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  55. [55]
    "IndiGo commences seventh route to Dubai". Anna.aero. 17 December 2014. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  56. [56]
    "IndiGo starts new domestic route from Hyderabad". Anna.aero. 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  57. [57]
    "IndiGo starting Kochi-Kuwait flights". IndiGo. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  58. [58]
    "IndiGo Airlines to fly to Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore from September". The Economic Times. New Delhi. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  59. [59]
    Hashim, Firdaus (2 September 2011). "IndiGo launches its first international flight". FlightGlobal. Singapore. Archived from the original on 1 June 2018.
  60. [60]
    Kumar, Vinay (14 June 2011). "IndiGo to launch international flights from Sept. 1". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  61. [61]
    Hannah Brandler (26 December 2021). "Air France-KLM signs codeshare agreement with Indigo Airlines". Business Traveller. London: Perry Publications.
  62. [62]
    "India nonstops on the way, American Airlines codeshares with IndiGo for India connections". The Times of India. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  63. [63]
    "British Airways signs new codeshare with IndiGo". Business Traveller. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  64. [64]
    "Qantas and Jetstar expand Sydney gateway with new direct flights to India and Korea". Qantas. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  65. [65]
    "Qatar Airways and IndiGo Sign Codeshare Agreement" (Press release). Qatar Airways. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  66. [66]
    Hofmann, Kurt (4 January 2019). "India's IndiGo, Turkish Airlines agree to codeshare". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019.
  67. [67]
    "Virgin Atlantic IndiGo codeshare agreement" (Press release). Virgin Atlantic. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  68. [68]
    "Seat map and Aircraft information". IndiGo. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  69. [69]
    Airbus Orders & Deliveries till February 2024 (Report). Airbus. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  70. [70]
    "IndiGo to phase out 120 A320 ceos in 2 years; working with partners for better prices". The Economic Times. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  71. [71]
    "India's IndiGo orders an additional ten A320Ns". ch-aviation. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  72. [72]
    "Airbus defers A321neo(XLR) service entry to 2024". Ch-aviation. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  73. [73]
    "India's IndiGo eyes Amsterdam with A321neo(XLR)s". Ch-aviation. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  74. [74]
    "IndiGo cargo inducts the first A321 P2F freighter" (Press release). IndiGo. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  75. [75]
    "Airbus wins $6bn order from India". BBC News. 16 June 2005. Archived from the original on 28 November 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  76. [76]
    "Airbus Orders and Deliveries". Airbus. Archived from the original on 13 January 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  77. [77]
    "IndiGo celebrates delivery of first Airbus A320". Airbus (Press release). 28 July 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  78. [78]
    "IndiGo gets 100th aircraft completing its first order of many Airbus A-320". The Economic Times. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  79. [79]
    Sinha, Saurabh (13 January 2011). "Aircraft order is just a drop in ocean: IndiGo". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  80. [80]
    "Airbus delays A320neo delivery for Indian airline IndiGo". Reuters. 21 December 2016. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  81. [81]
    "40 billion jet spending spree". Yahoo. 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  82. [82]
    "Would be foolish to not focus on India, says IndiGo airlines president Aditya Ghosh". The Economic Times. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  83. [83]
    "IndiGo signs MoU for 250 A320neo aircraft". Airbus (Press release). 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  84. [84]
    "IndiGo commits to 180 A320s, largest jet order in aviation history" (Press release). Airbus. 1 November 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  85. [85]
    "Airbus and AirAsia announce record deal for 200 planes". BBC. 23 June 2011. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  86. [86]
    "Airbus marks its 1,000th A320neo Family aircraft delivery". Airbus.com. 11 October 2019.
  87. [87]
    David Kaminski-Morrow (9 May 2017). "IndiGo tentatively signs for 50 ATRs". Flight Global.
  88. [88]
    Niall O'Keeffe (17 November 2017). "IndiGo takes delivery of first ATR". Flight Global. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  89. [89]
    "IndiGo signs for 300 A320neo Family aircraft" (Press release). Airbus. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  90. [90]
    "IndiGo's reveals new livery on Boeing 777 aircraft". Times Aerospace. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  91. [91]
    "Record aircraft purchase announced at Paris Airshow". BBC News. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  92. [92]
    "IndiGo FAQ's". IndiGo. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  93. [93]
    "Coffee with 6E". Mint. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  94. [94]
    "IndiGo 6E Plus". IndiGo. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  95. [95]
    "IndiGo ties up with Sony to offer entertainment content to flyers". The Times of India. 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article IndiGo, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.