IndiGo A350 deliveries will begin in 2028, chief executive Willie Walsh has confirmed, using his debut quarterly earnings call to address both the Indian carrier's long-haul ambitions and a narrowing net loss. FlightGlobal first reported the detail from that earnings call, which covered the Airbus A350-900 programme alongside the airline's latest financial results.
The results and the strategic commentary together give the clearest picture yet of where IndiGo stands as it works to build a credible long-haul operation alongside its dominant domestic business. You can track the carrier's network and fleet using our Airline Search.
What the Quarterly Numbers Show
IndiGo's net loss in fiscal Q2 narrowed to Rs18.8 billion (approximately $197 million), down from Rs25.8 billion in the same period a year earlier, according to FlightGlobal. Total revenue rose by almost a quarter while expenses grew 18.6 percent, a gap that goes some way to explaining the improved loss figure.
Yield climbed 34 percent and revenue per available seat kilometre rose 26 percent in the April to September period, FlightGlobal reports. Those unit revenue gains are notable, though they came against a backdrop of falling traffic: capacity dropped 1 percent and revenue passenger kilometres fell 3.7 percent. Load factor slipped 2.2 percentage points to 80.3 percent.
Fuel costs rose by nearly 70 percent across the same six-month window, FlightGlobal notes. Walsh acknowledged the pressure directly, saying there is a direct correlation between fuel costs and the level of airfares passengers pay.
The IndiGo A350 Order Stays on Track
Walsh used the call to push back firmly on any suggestion that the carrier might reconsider its widebody fleet plans. IndiGo has 60 A350s on order, and according to FlightGlobal and Aviation Week, the airline expects its first deliveries to begin in 2028.
Walsh was direct in his language. "We are still committed to the fleet orders we have and looking forward to taking delivery in 2028 of the A350s," he said, adding: "we're not reviewing our fleet." The position leaves little room for ambiguity on a question that some in the market had raised after the Norse Atlantic agreement ended.
Why the Norse Atlantic Lease Ended
IndiGo terminated its damp-lease arrangement with Norse Atlantic, under which it had been operating six Boeing 787-9s, FlightGlobal reports. Walsh gave no sign that ending the deal troubled him. "The decision to end that lease was an easy decision," he said.
Walsh also pointed to geopolitical issues as making India to Europe services difficult to operate, according to FlightGlobal. The remark offers context for why the carrier may have concluded that leasing 787-9s for those routes was not the right path forward at this point.
Holding Amsterdam With a Narrowbody
Despite retreating from the Norse Atlantic arrangement, IndiGo has not walked away from European slots entirely. The carrier is using an Airbus A321XLR to maintain its slot at Amsterdam, FlightGlobal reports. Protecting that slot keeps the option open for a widebody service once the A350s arrive.
The A321XLR's role here is worth noting. It is a capable aircraft for thinner long-haul routes, and its deployment on the Amsterdam service appears to be a slot-preservation measure rather than a full commercial substitute for a widebody operation.
What Q3 Looks Like
Walsh told the earnings call that forward bookings point to a flat load factor year on year in the third quarter, according to FlightGlobal. Capacity in Q3 is expected to grow by early single digits.
Those numbers suggest IndiGo is managing expansion carefully, prioritising unit revenue improvement over raw volume growth. Whether that discipline extends to the long-haul buildout will become clearer as the 2028 A350 deliveries approach.
The Bottom Line
The earnings call did two things at once. It confirmed that IndiGo's finances are moving in the right direction, even if profitability remains some distance away, and it gave Walsh a platform to put a firm line under questions about the carrier's long-haul commitment.
Ending the Norse Atlantic damp-lease while holding the Amsterdam slot via an A321XLR is a pragmatic middle path. The IndiGo A350 order, Walsh insists, is not in doubt. How quickly the carrier can build a sustainable long-haul network around those aircraft, in a market where geopolitics and fuel costs weigh heavily, is the question that will define the next phase of its story.
For those interested in connectivity and in-flight technology on long-haul routes, our earlier piece on how Starlink is being adopted across the airline industry is worth a read as carriers plan their next generation of widebody operations.
Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight.
Advertise with us Your brand, in front of an aviation audience Home page and in-article placements, sold directly, one advertiser per slot. From £250 a year. See the rates
.jpg){kind=link}