IndiGo set for huge growth – even without a new order

India’s low-cost airline IndiGo said on Friday that it will enter the US market on June 15, when it activates the codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines to four destinations. New York JFK, Washington, Chicago, and Boston will see daily services until the start of the winter season. This marks the first time that IndiGo extends its network to the US. The carrier has bold plans for future growth, CEO Pieter Elbers explained during a media roundtable on the sidelines of the IATA AGM in Istanbul earlier this week. IndiGo set for huge growth – even without a new order.

Elbers is IndiGo’s CEO since September, having joined the airline after thirty years in different roles with KLM. Early last year, his term as CEO of KLM was not extended, which opened the way to a new chapter in his career. The two quarters under the helm of the Dutchman have been profitable, with Q4 (January-March) even seeing a record-high Rs 9.19 billion net profit

. IndiGo ended FY23 with an Rs -3.1 billion net loss.

With India becoming the third-biggest economy in the world within five to seven years and with the largest young population that is wealthier than previous generations, air travel is on a steep rise. Low-cost carriers have contributed to that, with IndiGo itself carrying over 500 million passengers since its inception in 2006. Delhi, and Mumbai will get new airports, Goa just opened, and there are advanced plans for upgrades and the construction of 200 airports, often in regions that had no air connectivity.