NEW DELHI: In its effort to broaden global presence, the country’s largest carrier IndiGo has signed another firm agreement with Norway’s Norse Atlantic Airways for the damp lease of three wide-body Boeing 787-9 aircraft. These aircraft will be arriving in India in the second half of 2025 to serve long-haul routes out of India, primarily in the European market
On February 6, 2025, IndiGo had signed a firm damp lease agreement with Norse Atlantic for one Boeing 787-9, the delivery of which is on-track, and it is scheduled to start operations on airline’s Delhi-Bangkok route from March 1, 2025. These additional three damp-leases will bring the total to four (4) and IndiGo and Norse continue to explore opportunities to broaden the cooperation and possibility for contracting more aircraft.
“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 Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo. Elbers said on Monday that IndiGo intend to shift to Europe from mid-summer.
He added, “As we execute our broader strategy to strengthen and extend our international network, we are steadily advancing towards our vision of becoming a global player by 2030, firmly rooted in India and driven by continuous expansion.”
To support long-haul expansion IndiGo has already placed a firm order for 30 Airbus 350-900 wide body aircraft with an option for additional 70 aircraft, with deliveries expected to commence from 2027. Besides IndiGo, Tata Group run Air India is also accelerating its global expansion plans as home-grown airlines looks to grab market share from foreign airlines in the lucrative long haul routes.
The initial term of the new agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways is six months, extendable to up to 18 months, subject to regulatory approvals. IndiGo said that both parties remain committed to explore opportunities to further extend this period, explore opportunities to contract additional aircraft and increase their collaboration further.
“IndiGo is consistently expanding its global footprint with an aim to cater to the growing demand for international travel to and from India,” said IndiGo.
The Boeing 787-9 which will be used in the Delhi – Bangkok route features 56 IndiGoStretch seats in 2x3x2 configuration. The economy class offers 282 seats in a 3x3x3 configuration.