IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has significantly expanded its widebody operations by signing damp lease agreements for four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways, with the first aircraft set to begin service between Delhi and Bangkok on March 1, 2025.
The carrier announced on February 26 that it had secured three additional Boeing 787-9 aircraft, building upon an initial agreement signed on February 6 for a single aircraft. The three new aircraft will join IndiGo’s fleet in the second half of 2025 and will primarily serve European routes, according to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers.
“We are delighted to confirm extension of our partnership with Norse Atlantic Airways for damp lease of additional three Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This will help us make strategic inroads and establish the brand in the European market,” said Elbers in a press release.
The initial term of the agreement is six months, extendable up to 18 months subject to regulatory approvals. Both airlines are exploring opportunities to further extend their partnership and potentially contract additional aircraft.
The first Boeing 787-9 (registration LN-FNC, MSN 38790) will be delivered to Delhi on February 26 and will commence revenue service on the Delhi-Bangkok route on March 1. IndiGo currently serves this route with Airbus A321neo narrowbody aircraft.
The widebody aircraft features a two-class configuration with 56 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 layout with a 43-inch seat pitch, branded as “IndiGoStretch.” The economy cabin offers 282 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration with a 31-inch seat pitch. Total capacity is 338 passengers.
IndiGo’s premium product will include specially curated meals by Oberoi Catering Services and beverages from Sula Vineyards. Passengers booking IndiGoStretch will receive complimentary benefits such as priority check-in, anytime boarding, advance seat selection, zero convenience fee, and additional baggage allowance of 30 kg for check-in and one cabin bag of up to 12 kg.
The airline launched IndiGoStretch as a “tailor-made business class product” on India’s busiest domestic and business routes in mid-November 2024.
This widebody expansion comes ahead of IndiGo’s delivery of Airbus A321XLR aircraft expected in fiscal year 2026 and Airbus A350-900s in 2027. IndiGo has placed a firm order for 30 A350-900s with options for an additional 70 aircraft to support its long-haul expansion strategy.
“As India’s aviation sector undergoes rapid transformation to keep pace with unprecedented growth in demand for travel, IndiGo is well-positioned to lead this expansion,” Elbers stated. “The early induction of our wide body aircraft marks a significant milestone in our journey.”
According to the airline’s statements, IndiGo currently operates a fleet of over 400 aircraft and dispatches around 2,200 daily flights connecting more than 90 domestic and 35 international destinations. The carrier reportedly welcomed over 113 million customers in 2024.
Norse Atlantic Airways previously announced in November 2024 that it would wet-lease up to six Boeing 787-9s to a “reputable international airline” in 2025. The Norwegian carrier will operate its own scheduled network with 11 aircraft during the summer ahead, while allocating eight aircraft to its own scheduled network and four aircraft on longer-term ACMI contracts.
The Delhi-Bangkok service will operate daily, with flight 6E-1053 departing Delhi at 10:00 a.m. local time and arriving in Bangkok at 3:45 p.m. The return flight, 6E-1054, will depart Bangkok at 5:45 p.m. and arrive in Delhi at 8:55 p.m.
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