Interview: CEO Pieter Elbers on IndiGo’s Transformation

NEW DELHI — India’s largest airline, IndiGo (6E), rose to its position in just 19 years from its inception. 6E boasts the largest domestic share in India, with revenues exceeding US$9 billion for FY 2024-25. Once starting as a low-cost carrier (LCC), 6E has sailed away from being a conventional LCC to more of a hybrid airline.

Recently, Pieter Elbers, the CEO of IndiGo Airlines, shared the current journey and future outlook in an exclusive interview with Airways. Having been part of 6E for the past three years, Pieter reflects that this time is “exciting”, especially with the aviation industry's return to air travel following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline began operations with its first flight to Imphal (IMF) from New Delhi (DEL) in 2005, featuring 100 Airbus A320 aircraft in its order book. Currently, the airline has more than 430 aircraft in its fleet with one of the youngest fleet ages of just 4.6 years. Pieter Elbers reflected on the fleet strategy and the transition to widebodies, moving from Boeing 777s to 787s to the new A350s.

IndiGo recently exercised purchase options for additional widebody aircraft, taking the total order from 30 to 60 A350s. How do you view this in terms of strategy and transition?

Elbers: “IndiGo started just 19 years ago—it’s still a very young airline. We take pride in being the first airline in the world to reach 100 million annual customers in under 17 years of operation. Three years ago, we had 20 international destinations; today, we have over 40.

The A321 fleet allows us to serve much of Asia, but with the XLR arriving by the end of this year, we will stretch into significant parts of Europe and Asia. However, even the XLR has limitations. That’s where the A350 order comes in—it allows us to connect India to places like Manchester, Tokyo, or Sydney, where Indian carriers currently have little or no presence.

That’s why we decided to double the order from 30 to 60 A350s. They are expected to arrive around 2027–28. Until then, we are bridging the gap with the Boeing 787. These are being operated in a damp-lease arrangement, meaning the operator provides pilots and maintenance, while cabin crew are IndiGo’s. So, the transition will be relatively smooth.”

Long-Haul International Operations

At the beginning of July, 6E started their first long-haul international flights to Amsterdam (AMS) and Manchester (MAN) from Mumbai (BOM). Thanks to the damp-leased Boeing 787 from Norse Atlantic (N0), the routes have attracted considerable attention among passengers, as it is the sole operator to Manchester.

IndiGo’s widebody operations to Manchester and Amsterdam have attracted attention. What has been the passenger response so far?

Elbers: “The response has been very positive. Manchester, for example, is the only nonstop connection to India, and it was warmly welcomed by the large Indian diaspora there. Awareness of IndiGo was already strong, so not much marketing was required.

Amsterdam is different—it’s a market already served by KLM and Air India. But we’ve seen encouraging load factors and connecting traffic, not just to India but also to Thailand and Sri Lanka. That’s why we stepped up frequency: Manchester from three to four per week, Amsterdam from three to six. It is proof of the positive market response from this point.”

During my recent flight from AMS to BOM on 6E22, I met passengers traveling further to Bangkok, which shows a positive outlook from the passengers' point of view. But one of the bottlenecks faced, especially in an airport like AMS, is the slot constraints.

The bilateral agreement allows airlines to operate between the two countries, but KLM has a significantly larger operation in India compared to Indian airlines in the Netherlands. Elbers added that the airline is in frequent contact with the Indian government to address this issue, which also closely monitors it.

Welcoming A321XLR

IndiGo announced 10 new destinations, including Athens (ATH), Copenhagen (CPH), and London (LHR). In addition, the airline is set to welcome one of the latest aircraft types, the Airbus A321XLR, to its fleet. The XLR will enable the airline to add additional destinations, thanks to its extended range capability.

The airline recently announced Athens as the launch route for the XLR, with Elbers commenting, “XLRs are bought exactly for destinations like Athens.” Starting in early January 2026, 6E will operate six weekly non-stop flights between India and Greece. The exact configuration of the aircraft is not yet known, but it is expected to feature a two-cabin layout with Economy and IndiGoStretch seating options.

Additionally, 6E announced flights to CPH, starting 8 October 2025. The arrival of the second Boeing 787-9 in mid-September has enabled the launch of new destinations such as CPH, with LHR services also expected to begin by this October. Under the agreement with Norse Atlantic, IndiGo expects to operate four more of such aircraft in the next six months, bridging the gap until its ordered Airbus A350s arrive.

Returning to China

Before the pandemic, IndiGo operated flights to China. What is the outlook for a return?

Elbers: “We were flying to China before COVID, but of course, the entire world stopped during the pandemic. International flights, particularly to mainland China, have not yet resumed.

We’re ready to restart operations the moment both governments give the green light. While we haven’t yet announced the exact routes, once approvals are in place, IndiGo will be back in China. For now, we continue to operate to Hong Kong out of Delhi.”

With a fleet of young aircraft, 6E operates some of the efficient aircraft, which is beneficial for maintenance, customers, and emissions. The modern fleet, supplemented by a new aircraft added every week, enables the airline to adapt quickly to airspace restrictions and geopolitical changes.

Hub Strategy

IndiGo currently has multiple hubs across the country to support domestic and international growth. Some of the largest stations today are DEL, BOM, Bengaluru (BLR), and Hyderabad (HYD). Each hub supports the network differently; DEL and BOM support a large share of international traffic, including connections to Central Asia and the Middle East. There are services connecting Southeast Asian destinations, including Singapore (SIN) and Bali (DPS), from BLR. Furthermore, HYD also has some unique routes to the Middle East.

In a financial hub like Mumbai, the BOM is restricted by traffic numbers, as a new Navi Mumbai (NMI) airport is being constructed.

With Navi Mumbai International Airport under development, how does IndiGo plan to utilise this new hub?

Elbers: “It’s still early, but we’ve signed an MoU with the airport operator for a significant presence right from day one. Initially, we’ll focus on building a strong domestic network before adding international flights.

The current Mumbai airport is heavily constrained in terms of capacity, despite being the financial capital of the country. The new airport gives us the opportunity to expand, and our first priority will be to provide seamless domestic connectivity before scaling into international services.”

Introducing IndiGo Stretch

What was once a single-cabin airline with some seats offering extra legroom, 6E introduced Indigo Stretch on the 18^th anniversary of the airline. It has been eight to nine months since the airline introduced the new cabin into its domestic operations.

Elbers said, “Until recently, we only had extra-legroom seats, but with India’s economic growth, we felt it was the right time to introduce a business-class product. We chose not to do a blocked-middle-seat arrangement but to offer proper seats, along with features that matter most—privacy, fast charging, and efficient service.”

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, both domestically and now on select international routes like Bangkok and Singapore. Soon, we’ll expand it to more destinations.”, he added.

Partnerships Over Alliances

IndiGo currently has codeshares with Virgin Atlantic, Air France–KLM, Japan Airlines, and Delta. Will IndiGo be part of any future airline alliances?

Elbers: “We were initially focused on foreign airlines flying to India and then connecting on our enormous domestic network. But we start to make this relationship more reciprocal. Our flight to Amsterdam will connect on the European network with KLM, and IndiGo connects to Japan Airlines with flights from Bangkok to the destinations in Japan.

The next step is to connect to North American destinations with Virgin, Delta and KLM. Rather than alliances, we believe in building strong bilateral collaborations that give customers flexibility across different alliances at this point in time. I am optimistic that the systems will be in place before the end of the year.”

IATA AGM

6E hosted the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 81^st Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Delhi, India, in 2025. Elbers reflects that the event was “a moment of pride” and had great support from the government of India.

“For many international guests, it was eye-opening to see the scale of progress in India—not just in airlines, but also airports, infrastructure, and talent. The AGM also gave us a platform to discuss global topics such as safety, operating standards, and sustainability.”, he added.

Sustainability is one of the key topics in the current aviation ecosystem. Currently, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) serves as a bridge to reduce the carbon footprint; however, it presents a challenge to produce, as less than 1% of the required fuel is currently being produced.

However, 6E also focuses on contributing to a sustainable aviation, “we operate the youngest fleet with fuel-efficient engines, we are electrifying our ground operations, and we are optimizing every aspect when it comes to fuel burn.”, Elbers commented.

Building India’s MRO Ecosystem

IndiGo is investing in a major Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Bengaluru. What’s the strategy behind this?

Elbers: “With more than 400 aircraft today, and expecting 900 in the future, IndiGo needs to build significant in-house maintenance capability.

We already have hangars in Delhi and Bengaluru handling some levels of maintenance, but this new facility will be on a much larger scale. We’ve acquired a large plot of land, and the project will generate thousands of jobs over the coming years.

India has abundant young talent, and unlike other regions facing labour shortages, we can train engineers and mechanics here to support our growth. An exact timeline cannot be confirmed at the moment, but it is expected to start sooner and finish as per our existing plan.”