IndiGo has firm orders for 60 A350-900s, with deliveries from next year, as CEO Willie Walsh targets 40% international capacity by FY30. The airline reset its long-haul strategy after ending a damp-lease deal with Norse Atlantic.
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IndiGo's new chief executive, Willie Walsh, told shareholders the induction of the Airbus A350 is the single most important milestone for the airline to expand overseas profitably. Speaking at his first annual general meeting since taking charge on Aug. 3, Walsh said the A350 would allow IndiGo to capture a larger share of international traffic and help make India a global aviation hub.
“I think that will be the successful introduction into service of the Airbus A350, which will facilitate our ambition to expand our international operations in a profitable way,” Walsh said at the AGM on Thursday.
The airline has firm orders for 60 A350-900 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin next year. The A350-900 can carry 300 to 350 passengers in a three-class configuration and has an average range of 8,500 nautical miles. With those planes, IndiGo could fly non-stop from Delhi and Mumbai to North America's east coast, major European hubs, Australia, New Zealand, Seoul and Tokyo. It currently operates to over 35 destinations in West Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Europe and Africa.
Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta said India's “massive long-haul” market remained underserved. “Indian carriers must capture outbound wealth currently dominated by foreign carriers,” Mehta said.
IndiGo expects international flights to reach about 40% of its overall capacity by FY30, from roughly 30% now. The airline currently has no widebody aircraft of its own, though it has six on lease from Norse Atlantic Airways. Those leases end in October. Its own fleet consists of more than 400 narrowbody Airbus jets, including A320neo family aircraft and A321XLRs, as well as ATRs. Rival Air India is the only carrier with widebody planes for long-haul flights.
Aviation analyst Jainam Shah of Equirus Securities said the A350 induction would be a significant milestone. “We view the reaffirmation of IndiGo's long-haul ambitions positively,” Shah said. “With A321XLRs enabling mid- to long-haul expansion and A350s supporting long-haul routes, we see sufficient capacity and network levers for IndiGo to reach the 40% target by FY30.”
Walsh stressed that expansion would have to preserve IndiGo's cost advantage. “We have to remain focused on the profitable development of our long-haul network and take all measures to ensure that we continue to be the leader when it comes to costs in our industry,” he said.
The long-haul strategy has already seen a reset. In July, IndiGo said it would discontinue its Boeing 787 operations and end its damp-lease agreement with Norse Atlantic from October-end. The arrangement was designed to accelerate IndiGo's entry into long-haul markets ahead of its own A350 fleet. Prolonged airspace restrictions, higher fuel prices, longer routes and adverse currency movements altered the operating economics. The Norse withdrawal represents a pause, Walsh said, not a retreat.
After the Norse programme, Mumbai-Amsterdam will continue with an A321XLR, while IndiGo will suspend its London Heathrow services until the A350s arrive.
Walsh has taken charge at a difficult time for Indian aviation. IndiGo and Air India together hold a combined domestic market share of 90%. Both reported losses in FY26 – IndiGo a net loss of about ₹2,400 crore, Air India a loss of more than ₹22,000 crore. Debt-laden SpiceJet continues to face financial and legal pressures, and Akasa Air is still building scale.
Indian airlines have faced prolonged airspace restrictions over Pakistan, West Asia tensions, higher fuel costs and a weaker rupee, which increases dollar-denominated lease and maintenance costs. The West Asia conflict affected markets accounting for about 18% of IndiGo's capacity and roughly 160 daily flights.
“I don't believe I've ever seen or witnessed such an extreme set of external conditions as we've witnessed in the past 12-18 months,” Walsh said, citing supply-chain disruptions, aircraft delivery delays and jet fuel-price volatility.
His immediate task also involved fixing operational weaknesses exposed by the December disruption, when over 4,000 flights were cancelled. The operational meltdown led to regulatory action and a top-deck rejig at the airline, with then CEO Pieter Elbers stepping down.
“I've spent most of my early weeks here at IndiGo focusing on the remedial action that has been taking place in the airline,” Walsh said. IndiGo has strengthened employee planning and rostering and introduced duty guardrails. It has also added a dedicated crisis-management structure and real-time monitoring systems. The airline adjusted its network for crew productivity and strengthened pilot hiring. Last year, IndiGo hired almost 300 pilots.
Shah said international capacity had risen from 15% of IndiGo's total in FY22 to 32% in FY26. The A350 induction, he said, would be the next big catalyst. The first A350 deliveries are set for next year.
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