IndiGo seeks government approval for long-haul routes

Budget carrier IndiGo has sought the government’s clearance to commence operations on long-haul routes to destinations such as Birmingham, London, Milan, and Paris in the next few years.

“The company has been eyeing international network expansion for quite some time and has asked for approval from the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” said a senior IndiGo official on the condition of anonymity.

IndiGo’s promoter Rakesh Gangwal had said last July that the airline was aiming to launch long-haul operations soon. “Our internal work shows that IndiGo is a natural player to take advantage of the significant and lucrative international market opportunity that India offers,” he had said.

“Specifically, because of our large domestic network, we are well positioned to capture this massive and growing international traffic. It is about time that IndiGo enters the long-haul, international markets and takes advantage of this lucrative opportunity.”

It is not clear how IndiGo plans to stay low-cost on international flights after it inducts Boeing aircraft such as the Dreamliner and 747s in its fleet for these locations.

The official said the carrier will look at the business model adopted by other low-cost foreign carriers, such as Norwegian Air, that offers low fares for long-haul destinations.

IndiGo currently serves eight foreign destinations, including Gulf countries such as UAE, Oman and Qatar; and Thailand, Singapore, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The budget carrier, run by InterGlobe Aviation, had also expressed interest in Air India earlier this year primarily for its international business, but had to bow out as the government could not separate the national carrier’s domestic and international networks.

However, with the Air India bid failing to take off for IndiGo, the airline is still determined to expand on long-haul routes. “Air India’s international network would have been a plus for us if we had got the airline,” the official said. “But that does not mean we are at a disadvantage now. We have a strong domestic network that will help us cater our international destinations as well. Besides, we plan to continue with our low-cost model on these long haul routes.”

An email sent to IndiGo remained unanswered.