Airbus and Boeing are reportedly engaged in a race to woo India’s largest airline, IndiGo, for a widebody order. The low-cost carrier is already said to be finalizing a massive single-aisle aircraft order with Airbus and could also order a widebody fleet for the first time in its history.
Airbus A330 vs Boeing 787
Airbus and Boeing are competing to bag a widebody order from IndiGo, with people familiar with the matter saying that the carrier will make a choice between the Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A report by Mint quotes a source as saying,
Another source added that IndiGo was also considering the Airbus A350, given the ease of training A320 pilots for its operations. But for some reason, the plane was dropped from consideration. The A330, instead, is now the frontrunner from the Airbus team, with the manufacturer hoping to maintain its presence within the airline for its widebody fleet as well.
Interestingly, these developments come very close to the Paris Air Show that begins on June 19th. But both Airbus and Boeing have not made any official remarks regarding any such potential order from IndiGo.
Long-haul ambitions
IndiGo’s business strategy regarding its fleet structure has changed compared to what it was a few years ago. The airline’s robust domestic network and short-to-medium-haul international network are served comfortably with its narrowbody fleet.
But it’s keen on expanding its international network map, including long-haul destinations in Europe and East Asia that can be reliably served with bigger planes. Its partnership with Turkish Airlines has moved beyond just a regular codesharing deal, with Turkish wet leasing Boeing 777s to IndiGo, even painting them in IndiGo colors.
While it’s not quite the same as owning and operating a plane of its own, the wet-leased jets have given IndiGo a taste of what it’s like to run operations with a bigger plane. Many had long seen this move as IndiGo’s way of preparing for future widebody operations using its own aircraft.
