The airline will also offer hot food and in-flight entertainment.
ET BureauIndiGo Bets on Small Biz Class, Dense Economy Seating for Long-haul Flights
“As the flight length goes beyond the eight-hour range, the product will have to change according to the needs of the market,” Aloke Singh, chief strategy officer at IndiGo, said. ” But the underlying principle will remain the same: efficiency, cost discipline, scale, connectivity.” IndiGo now operates the narrow-body A321 in dual-cabin configuration between India’s metros and short-haul international routes.
The airline has ordered 60 Airbus A350-900 widebody jets for long-haul routes and deliveries are expected from 2028. Flying more seats will allow IndiGo to achieve a lower per seat cost, allowing it to compete aggressively with Air India. “We have been able to build a network to create multiple pathways and options for people to travel from one point to another at different times of the day,” said Abhijit Dasgupta, the airline’s senior VP for planning and revenue management.
IndiGo also plans to use multiple hubs for its long-haul operations. “Each of them has its own geographic strengths and local catchment markets,” said Dasgupta.
“Over a reasonable period of time, all major airports where we have built depth will see long-haul capacity.”