IndiGo to stop using leased wide body aircraft from Oct; AI to be only Indian carrier with twin aisles for over a year

IndiGo will discontinue its wide-body operations from October 25 and end its damp lease agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways by October 31.

NEW DELHI: In a blow to Indian carriers’ wide body capacity, Air India will be the only Indian carrier operating twin aisles for possibly well over one-and-a-half years starting Oct 25, the start of this year’s winter schedule. IndiGo has decided to discontinue the wide body operations it was mounting on wet leased (hired with operating crew) Norse Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliners from that day “due to challenging operating environment triggered by the ongoing geopolitical tensions” referring to the airspace closures starting from Pakistan (only for Indian carriers) and the US-Iran war leading to oil prices spiralling and the rupee crashing.While IndiGo will operate flights between Mumbai and Amsterdam on its Airbus A321XLR (extra long range) single aisles from Oct 25, the airline will “temporarily discontinue its services to and from London Heathrow until such time that its Airbus A350-900s are delivered.” It is supposed to start getting A350s from mid 2028, say people in the know.The airline says it will “work closely with affected customers to offer suitable alternatives, including alternate travel arrangements and refunds, as applicable, ensuring a smooth transition.”IndiGo had started using wet leased Norse Atlantic Dreamliners last March to prepare for its own long hauls that will happen with the A350s. Accordingly, it signed up with Norse for six Dreamliners and started flying to the UK and Europe. But as airspace restrictions kept growing along with the US-Iran war sending oil priced spiralling and the rupee crashing, the longer routes became unviable. Accordingly, IndiGo says it will “conclude its damp lease agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways effective Oct 31, 2026.”Former British Airways CEO Willie Walsh will take over that role in IndiGo next week. His ruthlessness in cutting costs has earned him the nickname “Slasher” in the industry and this move is being seen as Willie’s first move even before taking over.“The operating environment, however, has changed considerably since the programme was announced, with significant escalation in costs. Airspace constraints, elevated fuel costs and currency pressures have impacted route efficiency, schedule integrity, connectivity and overall competitiveness. These factors have created operational and economic challenges at a time when volatility across aviation markets has reduced industry-wide risk appetite, prompting a comprehensive review of the project and evaluation of possible alternative solutions,” IndiGo said in a statement.IndiGo SVP (Planning and Revenue Management) Abhijit Dasgupta said: “The global aviation industry continues to navigate ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, necessitating a prudent deployment of resources in the short term while preserving long-term strategic objectives. This project was never solely about serving specific routes but laying the foundation for our long-haul operations in future. The invaluable operational learnings and strong customer response during this journey have strengthened our conviction in our long-term international strategy.”“As we enter the next phase of our growth, we remain firmly committed to expanding our global footprint across key mid and long-haul markets. We will continue to strengthen our European network through services using the Airbus A321XLR, while maintaining internal momentum to prepare for our own widebody services in line with our long-term international ambitions,” Dasgupta added.This will leave Air India as the only Indian carrier operating wide body aircraft. Jet Airways, which stopped flying in 2019, was the only other Indian carrier that had wide body aircraft in its fleet. IndiGo should start getting wide bodies in about a year or so.