IndiGo’s first commercial service using Boeing 777 aircraft on wet lease commenced this morning. The airline is keen on adding capacity and exploring new routes with widebody planes, and deployed the aircraft between Delhi and Istanbul. Departing from its model using single-aisle planes, IndiGo’s latest offering features a business class option for passengers for the first time.
First flight with a 777
On February 1st, IndiGo deployed a Boeing 777 on the Delhi-Istanbul route, catering to the increasing demand for travel to and from India. The aircraft has been inducted on wet lease from Turkish Airlines, which also has a codeshare partnership with IndiGo.
Flight 6E11 took off from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) at 07:24 and was almost two and a half hours into the flight at the time of writing. Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, commented,
“We are extremely pleased to induct Boeing 777 aircraft to operate on one the most popular international routes - Delhi-Istanbul-Delhi. The introduction of wide body aircraft will not only increase capacity to Istanbul, but also to Europe through codeshare flights with Turkish Airlines.
“IndiGo is looking forward to offering consumers an even more comfortable and a hassle-free experience with multiple services such as pre-booked Jain meal, Veg, or Non-Veg hot meals as per preference, choice of buying blankets and pillows as well as amenity kits on the flight. Going further, we will explore more options to continue to offer a courteous, hassle-free, and on-time travel experience at affordable fares.”
Widebody experience
While IndiGo has a firm grasp over the domestic market in India, it hasn’t been able to move beyond short to mid-range international destinations such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia due to its fleet of smaller aircraft.
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Even for Istanbul flights, it has had to deal with weight restrictions and customer complaints on its A320 family of aircraft for the longest flight in its network. It even announced modifications to some of its A321neos to make the passenger experience more comfortable for flights to Istanbul.
The 777 will allow IndiGo to get first-hand experience in operating a widebody aircraft and offering passengers services such as the option of pre-booking hot meals. The 777 will enable IndiGo to carry up to 400 passengers in a two-class configuration and offer widebody seats more suitable for longer flights.
The airline will eventually induct the long-range Airbus A321XLR planes, which will allow it to travel as far as Western Europe and the Far East, but it remains to be seen if IndiGo will ever take the plunge for long-term widebody operations.
Allowed for one year
For now, one can expect IndiGo to deploy 777 aircraft for up to a year as the Indian regulator relaxed its rules and allowed Indian carriers to wet lease airplanes for six months with the option of extending it by another six months.
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IndiGo had initially wanted a two-year wet lease agreement, but that was rejected by the DGCA, which viewed the request as a “diversion of traffic rights in collusion with a strong foreign carrier” that may have given Turkish Airlines an unfair advantage. But it met IndiGo halfway, and the carrier is expected to use widebody capacity throughout 2023.
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