Indian carrier IndiGo has made history with the biggest single purchase agreement in commercial aviation.
The airline placed a record order for 500 Airbus A320 aircraft at the Paris Air Show, with the aircraft set to be delivered between 2030 and 2035.
The multi-billion dollar deal brings IndiGo’s order book to 1,330 Airbus aircraft and makes it the world’s biggest A320 Family customer for Airbus.
Additionally, the order surpasses competitor Air India’s order of more than 470 jets from Airbus and Boeing earlier this year.
Founded in 2006, the New Delhi-based carrier currently has a fleet of over 300 aircraft, with 480 aircraft “yet to be delivered between today and the end of the decade” according to the carrier. IndiGo added that it expects to carry 100 million customers this year.
The airline currently operates more than 1,800 flights per day across 78 domestic destinations and more than 25 international destinations, with plans to grow its international footprint to 32 destinations.
Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said:
“It is difficult to overstate the significance of IndiGo’s new historic order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft. An order book now of almost 1,000 aircraft well into the next decade, enables IndiGo to fulfil its mission to continue to boost economic growth, social cohesion and mobility in India.”
Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer and head of International at Airbus, added:
“This landmark order marks a new chapter in Airbus and IndiGo’s relationship that is democratising affordable air travel for millions of people in the world’s fastest growing aviation market. 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.”
Meanwhile, Air Mauritius placed an order for three A350s at the Paris Air Show, and Boeing has projected global demand for 42,595 new commercial jet aircraft by 2042, valued at $8 trillion.
Boeing: 42,600 new commercial jets needed to satisfy global demand over next 20 years
