Wikipedia

IndiGo

This article is about the Indian airline. For the American airline, see Indigo Airlines (American airline). For the colour, see Indigo. For other uses, see Indigo (disambiguation).

InterGlobe Aviation Limited (d/b/a IndiGo), is an Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 63.3% domestic market share as of October 2024.[citation needed][4] It is the largest individual Asian airline, and one of the largest in the world in terms of passengers carried, with more than 100 million passengers carried in 2023. As of November 2024, IndiGo operates over 2,000 daily flights to 122 destinations – 88 domestic and 35 international,[5][failed verification] with a fleet of over 390 aircraft. It has its primary hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.

IndiGo
IATA ICAO Call sign
6E IGO IFLY
Founded2006; 18 years ago (2006)
Commenced operations4 August 2006; 18 years ago (2006-08-04)
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer programBluChip
Fleet size390
Destinations123
Traded as
ISININE646L01027
HeadquartersGurgaon, Haryana, India
Key people
Founders
RevenueIncrease ₹71,231 crore (US$8.5 billion) (2024)[2]
Operating incomeIncrease ₹8,049 crore (US$960 million) (2024)
Net incomeIncrease ₹8,172 crore (US$980 million) (2024)
Total assetsIncrease ₹82,224 crore (US$9.9 billion) (2024)
Total equityIncrease ₹1,996 crore (US$240 million) (2024)
EmployeesIncrease 37,200 (2024)[3]
Websitegoindigo.in

The airline was founded as a private company by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal in 2006. It took delivery of its first aircraft in July 2006 and commenced operations a month later. The airline became the largest Indian carrier by passenger market share in 2012. The company went public in November 2015. IndiGo was ranked as the fifteenth most punctual airline globally in 2022 by OAG.

History

edit

IndiGo was founded in 2006 as a private company by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal, a United States–based expatriate Indian.[6] InterGlobe had a 51.12% stake in IndiGo and 47.88% was held by Gangwal's Virginia-based company, Caelum Investments.[7][8] IndiGo placed a firm order for 100 Airbus A320-200 aircraft in June 2005 with plans to begin operations in mid-2006.[9] IndiGo took delivery of its first aircraft on 28 July 2006, nearly a year after placing the order.[10] It commenced operations on 4 August 2006 with a service from New Delhi to Imphal via Guwahati.[11] By the end of 2006, the airline had six aircraft, and nine more were acquired in 2007.[11] In December 2010, IndiGo replaced state-run carrier Air India as the third largest airline in India, behind Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways with a passenger market share of 17.3%.[12]

In 2011, IndiGo placed an order for 180 Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal worth US$15 billion.[13] In January 2011, after completing five years of operations, the airline was permitted to launch international flights.[14] In December 2011, the DGCA expressed reservations that the rapid expansion could impact passenger safety.[15]

In February 2012, IndiGo took delivery of its 50th aircraft, less than six years after it began operations.[16] For the quarter ending March 2012, IndiGo was the most profitable airline in India and became the second largest airline in India in terms of passenger market share.[17] On 17 August 2012, IndiGo became the largest airline in India in terms of market share surpassing Jet Airways, six years after commencing operations.[18]

In January 2013, IndiGo was the second-fastest-growing low-cost carrier in Asia behind Indonesian airline Lion Air.[19] In February 2013, following the announcement of the Civil Aviation Ministry that it would allow IndiGo to take delivery of only five aircraft that year, the airline planned to introduce low-cost regional flights by setting up a subsidiary. Later, IndiGo announced that it planned to seek permission from the ministry to acquire four more aircraft, therefore taking delivery of nine aircraft in 2013.[20] As of March 2014, IndiGo is the second-largest low-cost carrier in Asia in terms of seats flown.[21]

In August 2015, IndiGo placed an order for 250 Airbus A320neo aircraft worth $27 billion, making it the largest single order ever in Airbus history.[22] IndiGo announced a ₹3,018 crore (equivalent to ₹36 billion or US$430 million in 2023) initial public offering on 19 October 2015 which opened on 27 October 2015.[23][24][25]

In October 2019, IndiGo placed an order for 300 Airbus A320neo aircraft worth ₹2.3 lakh crore (US$28 billion), surpassing its own record of the largest single order ever in Airbus history.[26][27] In December 2019, the airline became the first Indian airline to operate 1,500 daily flights.[28] On 31 December 2019, it became India's first airline to have a fleet size of more than 250 aircraft.[29]

In January 2023, the airline became the first Indian airline to have a fleet size of more than 300 aircraft.[30] In February 2023, the airline inducted the first wide-body aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER to its fleet.[31] In June 2023, the airline placed an order for 500 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, making it the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history.[32] As of November 2023, IndiGo had a 61.8% domestic market share.[33] In December 2023, IndiGo became the first Indian airline to have ferried more than 100 million passengers in a calendar year.[34] In April 2024, IndiGo formally entered the wide-body space by placing an order of 30 A350-900s, with 70 options.[35] The delivery of these aircraft will begin in 2027.

Corporate affairs

edit
 
IndiGo uses as an indigo-sky blue livery, as seen on the Airbus A320 aircraft.
 
IndiGo aircraft with secondary colour scheme on Airbus A320-214

IndiGo is headquartered in Gurgaon, India.[36] The company is publicly listed under the moniker NSE: INDIGO.[37]

Logo and livery

edit

Twenty dots arranged in the shape of an aircraft serves as the logo of the airline.[38] The airline uses a two tone blue livery on a white background with the belly of the aircraft painted in Indigo with the logo in white.[39] The flight attendants wear a single-piece navy-blue tunic with a cap and a thin indigo belt.[40] The airline has the tagline on-time focusing on punctuality.[40]

Financials

edit
Year 2016[41] 2017[42] 2018[43] 2019[44] 2020[45] 2021[46] 2022[47] 2023[48]
Revenue (₹ cr) 16,140 18,580 23,021 28,497 35,756 14,641 25,931 54,446
Profit after tax (₹ cr) 1,986 1,659 2,242 156 −248 −5,830 −6,171 −317

Operations

edit

IndiGo became one of the fastest growing low-cost carriers in the world and the largest airline in India.[19] The success of IndiGo has been attributed to its unique business model which reduces costs.[17] The airline operates a single type of aircraft (Airbus A320) in similar seating configuration which simplifies crew training and maintenance.[17] The airline strikes bulk deals with Airbus, reducing unit costs.[17] The airline targets a quick turn-around time of 20 minutes to get the aircraft ready for the next flight, ensuring planes fly about 12 hours every day.[49] Employees share multiple roles with a check-in staff doubling as baggage handlers.[49] In July 2023, Indian aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation imposed a ₹30 lakh (US$36,000) fine on IndiGo for certain systemic deficiencies concerning documentation pertaining to operations, training, and engineering procedures.[50]

Particulars 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Employees 12,362 14,604 18,060 23,531 27,812 23,711 26,164 32,407
Passengers (mn)[51] 33 44 52 65 75 29 47 85
Load factor (%) 84.0 84.8 87.4 86.2 85.8 69.4 73.6 82.1
Fleet size 107 131 159 217 262 285 275 304
CO2 emissions (g) per ASK 74.6[52] 72.0 70.0 64.7 61.1 59.5

Destinations

edit
 
Countries in which IndiGo operates as of November 2024[needs update][53]
Main article: List of IndiGo destinations

As of November 2024, IndiGo operates more than 2,000 daily flights to 123 destinations, 88 in India and 35 abroad.[54][55][56] Its main base is located at Delhi,[57] with additional bases at Bangalore,[58] Chennai,[59] Hyderabad,[60] Kolkata,[59] Mumbai,[59] and Kochi.[61] In January 2011, IndiGo received a license to operate international flights after completing five years of operations.[62] IndiGo's first international service was launched between New Delhi and Dubai on 1 September 2011.[63][64] On 25 October 2024, the airline announced that it will expand its international destinations to Langkawi, Penang, Seychelles, among many others in Southeast, Central and eastern Africa from December 2024 onwards, in order to reach the target of over 40 international destinations by 2025 and further solidify global presence.[65]

Codeshare agreements

edit

IndiGo codeshares with the following airlines:

Fleet

edit
Main article: IndiGo fleet

As of September 2024, IndiGo operates a fleet of 390 aircraft.[75][76][77]

Services

edit
 
An IndiGo in-flight snack of biscuits supplied in a souvenir biscuit tin

Being a low-cost carrier, IndiGo offers only economy class seating. To keep fares low, IndiGo does not provide complimentary meals in any of its flights. While it has a buy-on board in-flight meal programme, no hot meals are available as, to minimise costs, IndiGo aircraft are not equipped with ovens.[78][failed verification] However, hot drinks and instant meals prepared with hot water like instant noodles, upma and poha are available.[79] No in-flight entertainment is available and Hello 6E is the in-flight magazine published by IndiGo.[80] IndiGo offers premium services, where the passengers can avail additional benefits like a pre-assigned seat, multiple cancellations and priority check-in at a higher fare.[81] In September 2019, the company announced its tie up with SonyLIV, an on demand video app for providing its passengers with entertainment options in-flight and at the airport.[82]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "IndiGo Leadership". IndiGo. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  2. ^ Annual Trends (PDF) (Report). 7 June 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Indigo FY 24 Annual Report". Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  4. ^ "August aviation data: Akasa Air, SpiceJet lose market share; Vistara, IndiGo, Air India see gains". moneycontrol.com. 16 October 2024.
  5. ^ "About us". About IndiGo. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Owner of India's biggest airline files for IPO". CNBC. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  7. ^ Padnis, Anees (16 November 2013). "IndiGo gives handsome payback to promoters". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  8. ^ "FIPB approves proposal to convert Rakesh Gangwal's IndiGo stake to NRI category". The Economic Times. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  9. ^ "IndiGo Airlines to fly soon". The Economic Times. 22 June 2005. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  10. ^ "IndiGo takes delivery of its first brand new Airbus A320 aircraft". The Hindu. 29 July 2006. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  11. ^ a b "Indigo's first flight to take-off on Aug 4". The Economic Times. 13 July 2006. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  12. ^ "IndiGo pips Air India to become No. 3 airline". The Indian Express. 21 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 January 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  13. ^ "IndiGo airline picks up 180 jets". The Economic Times. 13 January 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  14. ^ "IndiGo gets govt nod to launch international operations". Rediff. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  15. ^ "IndiGo, SpiceJet airlines violate mandatory safety norms: DGCA". India Today. 9 January 2012. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  16. ^ "IndiGo gets delivery of its 50th Airbus A320 aircraft". The Economic Times. 10 February 2012. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  17. ^ a b c d Mishra, Mihir (21 February 2012). "A tale of two airlines: Kingfisher vs IndiGo". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  18. ^ "IndiGo flies past Jet to become largest airline". Business Standard. 18 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  19. ^ a b "IndiGo among the fastest expanding airlines globally". Business Standard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  20. ^ "IndiGo to set up regional airline to tap small towns". The Economic Times. 13 February 2013. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  21. ^ Sobhie, Brent. "Analyst Viewpoint: Asian airline industry overview" (PDF). CAPA. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  22. ^ "IndiGo orders 250 planes". The Times of India. 18 August 2015. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  23. ^ "IndiGo Airlines IPO to open on October 27, price band Rs 700-765". The Economic Times. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  24. ^ S V Krishnamachari (21 November 2016). "Domestic air traffic: How IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, Air India, Go Air, AirAsia India, Vistara performed in October". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  25. ^ "IndiGo's Rs 3,018-crore IPO three times oversubscribed". The Economic Times. 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  26. ^ "IndiGo Orders Further 300 A320neo Aircraft". One Mile at a Home. 31 October 2019. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  27. ^ Sinha, Saurabh (31 October 2019). "IndiGo gives Rs 2.4 lakh crore order for 300 A320 Neo aircraft". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  28. ^ "IndiGo becomes 1st Indian carrier to operate 1,500 daily flights". Livemint. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  29. ^ "IndiGo fleet size crosses 250 planes, becomes first Indian carrier to do so". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 1 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  30. ^ Dwivedi, Manas (7 January 2023). "IndiGo's fleet gets 300 aircraft strong, becomes first Indian airline to achieve the milestone". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  31. ^ "IndiGo inducts its first widebody aircraft - Boeing 777 on Delhi-Istanbul route" (Press release). IndiGo. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  32. ^ "Largest Aircraft Order: IndiGo Places Order For 500 Airbus Neo Family Planes". News18. 19 June 2023. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  33. ^ November 2023 Domestic Traffic Reports (PDF) (Report). Directorate General of Civil Aviation. p. 3. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  34. ^ Sharma, Sukalp (18 December 2023). "IndiGo becomes first Indian airline to touch 100 million passengers in a year". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  35. ^ "IndiGo Orders 30 Firm A350-900 Aircraft". IndiGo. 25 April 2024. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Contact us". IndiGo. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  37. ^ "InterGlobe Aviation Limited Share Price". National Stock Exchange of India. 4 May 2023. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  38. ^ "IndiGo Experience". IndiGo. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  39. ^ "The man behind IndiGo's amazing success". Rediff. 8 February 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  40. ^ a b Saxton, Aditi (17 February 2011). "The IndiGo brand story". CNN. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  41. ^ IndiGo Annual Report 2016 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  42. ^ IndiGo Annual Report 2017 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  43. ^ IndiGo Annual Report 2018 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  44. ^ IndiGo Annual Report 2018-19 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  45. ^ IndiGo Annual Report 2019-20 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  46. ^ IndiGo Annual Report 2020-21 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  47. ^ IndiGo Annual Report 2021-22 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  48. ^ IndiGo Annual Report 2022-23 (PDF) (Report). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  49. ^ a b Mehta, Vivan (24 June 2012). "Soaring above the rest". Business Today. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  50. ^ The Indian Express, The Indian Express (28 July 2023). "DGCA imposes Rs 30 lakh fine on IndiGo". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  51. ^ IndiGo: passenger traffic 2023. Statista (Report). Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  52. ^ "IndiGo slashes carbon emissions by 20% in FY23 through sustainable measures". The Hindu. 30 July 2023. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  53. ^ "Route map IndiGo". Flight Connections. 21 September 2023. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  54. ^ Sinha, Saurabh (17 November 2023). "IndiGo becomes 1st desi airline to have over 2,000 planned flights daily". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  55. ^ "IndiGo is back with a bang, looking to start flights to many international destinations: CEO Pieter Elbers". The Economic Times. 17 February 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  56. ^ "Jaffna Joins IndiGo's Global Network as its 34th International Destination with Direct Flights from Chennai". IndiGo (Press release). 1 August 2024. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  57. ^ "Profile on IndiGo". CAPA. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  58. ^ "IndiGo adds to Bengaluru base". Anna.aero. 16 February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  59. ^ a b c "IndiGo commences seventh route to Dubai". Anna.aero. 17 December 2014. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  60. ^ "IndiGo starts new domestic route from Hyderabad". Anna.aero. 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  61. ^ "IndiGo starting Kochi-Kuwait flights". IndiGo. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  62. ^ "IndiGo Airlines to fly to Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore from September". The Economic Times. New Delhi. 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  63. ^ Hashim, Firdaus (2 September 2011). "IndiGo launches its first international flight". FlightGlobal. Singapore. Archived from the original on 1 June 2018.
  64. ^ Kumar, Vinay (14 June 2011). "IndiGo to launch international flights from Sept. 1". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  65. ^ "IndiGo to commence flights to tourist hotspots like Langkawi and Penang soon, says CEO - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 26 October 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  66. ^ a b Hannah Brandler (26 December 2021). "Air France-KLM signs codeshare agreement with Indigo Airlines". Business Traveller. London: Perry Publications. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  67. ^ "India nonstops on the way, American Airlines codeshares with IndiGo for India connections". The Times of India. 28 September 2021. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  68. ^ "British Airways signs new codeshare with IndiGo". Business Traveller. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  69. ^ "Malaysia airlines Indigo boost connectivity with codeshare". TTG Asia. 8 April 2024. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  70. ^ "Qantas and Jetstar expand Sydney gateway with new direct flights to India and Korea". Qantas. 8 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  71. ^ "Qatar Airways and IndiGo Sign Codeshare Agreement" (Press release). Qatar Airways. 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  72. ^ Hofmann, Kurt (4 January 2019). "India's IndiGo, Turkish Airlines agree to codeshare". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019.
  73. ^ "Virgin Atlantic IndiGo codeshare agreement" (Press release). Virgin Atlantic. 1 September 2022. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  74. ^ "Japan Airlines and IndiGo Agree on Codeshare Partnership". IndiGo. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  75. ^ "Seat map and Aircraft information". IndiGo. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  76. ^ "IndiGo Stretch: New IndiGo Business Class". Aviation A2Z. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  77. ^ Airbus Orders & Deliveries till October 2024 (Report). Airbus. Retrieved 28 November 2024.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  78. ^ "India's largest airline is flying high". The Economist. Archived from the original on 25 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  79. ^ "6E Eats" (PDF). IndiGo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  80. ^ "Coffee with 6E". Mint. 26 October 2015. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  81. ^ "IndiGo 6E Plus". IndiGo. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  82. ^ "IndiGo ties up with Sony to offer entertainment content to flyers". The Times of India. 5 September 2019. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=IndiGo&oldid=1260256392"