Delhi-based low-cost airline IndiGo introduced a new revolutionary Three Point Disembarkation process on Wednesday which will enable its customers to exit the aircraft faster than before.
The new disembarkation process will be carried out from two forward and one rear exit ramps, making IndiGo the first airline in the world to use this process, the airline said. IndiGo enjoys a domestic market share of over 50 percent.
The low-cost airline has conducted trials and received encouraging feedback from customers for the new Disembarkation process. The cabin crew will make the necessary announcements to inform customers at the time of deboarding. The new disembarkation procedure will be implemented on IndiGo’s A320 and A321 fleet for flights arriving at remote stands in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru airports to begin with, and will be progressively deployed across its network.
Sanjeev Ramdas, Executive Vice President – IndiGo, said, “At IndiGo, we have always looked at newer ways to enhance our customer experience and make flying, as well as our ground operations, efficient and hassle-free. Adding a third ramp for disembarkation is a simple yet effective way to complete a smooth travel experience for our customers.”
The announcement comes a day after IndiGo, despite reporting its strongest revenue performance in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, resulting in the highest ever quarterly earnings of Rs130.2 billion ($1.64 billion), reported a net loss of Rs 10,643 million for the quarter ended June this year.
The new disembarkation procedure also comes in the backdrop of former KLM CEO Pieter Elbers taking over from the current CEO Ronojoy Dutta in October this year. The additional ramp to make disembarkation quicker by 5-7 mins – and based on the US example of ~$100/min in operational costs, IndiGo could save up to $700 for each arrival. Considering the airline performs 1,600 flights per day, with typical fares starting at ~$30, the savings are significant. Potentially 11,200 minutes saved per day means over $1m in daily operational cost savings. Or the equivalent of over 37,000 more daily passengers at the $30 fare rate. So yes, this is a very big deal.
