From Budget King to Global Player: IndiGo’s Big Leap to the UK & Europe

IndiGo, India’s low-cost behemoth, is finally stretching its wings beyond its short-haul empire. The airline has announced its first-ever long-haul routes, launching flights to Manchester and Amsterdam, because apparently, an airline with 500+ planes and an order book longer than your last Netflix binge wasn’t ambitious enough. Although im not too sure why Manchester and not London but oh well…

In This Post

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers (formerly of KLM fame)

Today, we unlock a new and very exciting chapter in IndiGo’s growth journey, connecting India to the heart of Europe. We’re thrilled to announce our first-ever long-haul destinations – Manchester and Amsterdam. India has strong ties both with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands for business and tourism; and there is a large Indian diaspora who live in these countries. These new flights will benefit both our existing and potential customers who fly on these routes. These new IndiGo long-haul routes are steps towards inching closer to realising our shared vision to build India into a global aviation hub.

Translation: IndiGo is done playing in the regional sandbox.

The Aircraft Plan: Borrowed 787s Today, A350s Tomorrow

Starting March 2025, IndiGo will lease six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from Norse Atlantic Airways to operate these routes. But the airline isn’t stopping there; by 2027, it plans to swap those out for its own A350s. IndiGo has been an all-Airbus operator for years, but they couldn’t even resist the lure of the Dreamliner (for now).

And speaking of surprises, let’s talk about IndiGo’s Boeing 777s. Yes, you read that right. The airline wet-leased two Boeing 777-300ERs from Turkish Airlines last year to try long-haul flying. At a sprightly 15 and 17 years old, those aircraft have been handling some of IndiGo’s Europe operations while the airline plots its next moves.

a row of seats on an airplane Indigo — Indigo aircraft is in a 3-3 configuration.

Indigo’s current fleet.

198 A320neo
131 A321neo
39 A320
3 A321
50 ATR 72-500
2 B777-300ER

a row of seats on an airplane Norse Atlantic Indigo — Norse Atlantic Premium Economy class.

My trip to India.

You’ll find all the details below for the full lowdown on my adventures, which range from the nail-biting excitement of securing an Indian visa (from the UK, no less) to the dizzying heights of Heathrow first-class dining at Terminal 3!