IndiGo to have 14 A321 XLR planes by end of 2027: CEO Willie Walsh
NEW DELHI: IndiGo expects to have a total of 14 narrow-body A321 XLR aircraft by the end of December 2027 as it seeks to expand international operations, CEO Willie Walsh said on Tuesday.
The airline currently has four A321 XLRs and another will be added by year-end, Walsh said at the Aviation India and South Asia 2026 conference in New Delhi.
The longer-range aircraft will help the carrier connect more overseas destinations while retaining its narrow-body operating model, he said.
Walsh stressed that the airline’s focus will remain on short-haul operations and that it has a very efficient cost base.”We will continue to prioritise our core short-haul business even as we accelerate overseas expansion,” he said.
IndiGo has discontinued operations with leased wide-body Boeing 787 planes and expects to start receiving its Airbus A350-900 aircraft from the second quarter of 2028. The configuration for the first 10 A350 aircraft has been finalised.
The country’s largest airline by market share currently operates a fleet of more than 440 aircraft and has outlined plans to expand to 600 aircraft by 2030.
Walsh, former head of International Air Transport Association (IATA), British Airways and IAG, took charge of IndiGo earlier this year.
IndiGo reported a loss of Rs 1,879.1 crore in the September quarter of FY27 due to higher fuel costs and rupee depreciation.
