IndiGo Sees a Lot of Opportunities; A350 Plane Deliveries From 2028 Second Qtr: CEO Willie Walsh

New Delhi: IndiGo sees a lot of opportunities and will navigate through the challenges in the industry, its CEO Willie Walsh said on Monday as he emphasised the airline’s focus on excellent cost base.

At his first in-person briefing after taking charge as CEO in August, Walsh said the airline expects to start getting the wide-body A350 aircraft from the second quarter of 2028.

The airline has all the ingredients to succeed in the long haul market, he said.

The A350s will have a three-class configuration — 16 flat beds in business class, premium economy and economy class seats.

The configuration is locked for the first 10 A350 planes and the airline would look at having more flat beds in business class later, Walsh said.

Against the backdrop of rising fuel costs roiling profitability of airlines, Walsh said the situation is challenging for the industry and IndiGo will navigate through the challenges.

Regarding hedging for fuel prices, Walsh said there are no plans to start it and would look at the option after finalising the policy.

In the September quarter, IndiGo reported a loss of Rs 1,879.1 crore as higher fuel costs and rupee depreciation roiled the profitability. Amid the headwinds, the airline had also reduced the capacity.

“We see incredible opportunities,” he added.

About the Navi Mumbai airport, Walsh said the airport provides a big opportunity for it and that the decision to partly shift international flights was taken in the airline’s interest.

IndiGo operates over 2,100 flights daily and currently has an operational fleet of over 400 aircraft.

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