IndiGo
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InterGlobe Aviation Limited, doing business as IndiGo, is an Indian airline headquartered in Gurgaon. It's the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, commanding a massive 64.2% domestic market share as of August 2025. Globally, it's the second largest Asian airline and one of the world's biggest in terms of passenger volume, carrying over 31.9 million passengers in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone. As of November 2025, IndiGo orchestrates over 2,700 daily flights, connecting 137 destinations – 94 domestic and 43 international. Cargo services are handled by its subsidiary, IndiGo CarGo, and its primary hub buzzes at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
The airline's journey began in 2005 as a private venture by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal. Their first aircraft arrived in July 2006, and operations took flight just a month later, on August 4th, 2006. By December 2012, IndiGo had already become the largest Indian carrier by passenger market share, and the company went public in October 2015. Its commitment to punctuality earned it the 15th spot globally in 2022 by OAG, and RadarBox data places it as the 6th busiest airline in the world.
IndiGo was founded in 2005 as a private company by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal. InterGlobe held a majority stake, with Gangwal's company holding the rest. In June 2005, IndiGo placed a substantial order for 100 Airbus A320-200 aircraft, with operations planned for mid-2006. The first aircraft was delivered on July 28th, 2006, and operations commenced on August 4th, 2006, with a service from New Delhi to Imphal via Guwahati. By the end of 2006, the fleet had grown to six aircraft, with nine more joining in 2007.
The airline quickly gained momentum. By April 2007, IndiGo had surpassed the 1 million-passenger mark. Just two years later, in April 2009, they crossed the 10 million-passenger mark and received their 25th aircraft. December 2010 saw IndiGo overtake the state-run Air India, becoming the third largest airline in India with a 17.3% passenger market share.
A significant expansion occurred in 2011 with an order for 180 Airbus A320 aircraft, a deal valued at US$15 billion. In January 2011, after five years of operation, IndiGo was granted permission to launch international flights. That same month, it also became the largest domestic carrier in India by market share. However, by December 2011, concerns were raised by the DGCA regarding the potential impact of rapid expansion on passenger safety.
The fleet continued to grow, with the 50th aircraft delivered in February 2012, less than six years after operations began. For the quarter ending March 2012, IndiGo was India's most profitable airline and had become the second largest by passenger market share. A major milestone was reached on August 17th, 2012, when IndiGo became India's largest airline by market share, surpassing Jet Airways, a mere six years after commencing operations. By December 2012, they had carried over 50 million passengers.
IndiGo's rapid growth continued into 2013, recognized as the second fastest-growing low-cost carrier in Asia, trailing only Indonesia's Lion Air. Despite potential restrictions on aircraft deliveries, IndiGo planned to introduce low-cost regional flights through a subsidiary and sought permission to acquire additional aircraft. By March 2014, IndiGo was the second-largest low-cost carrier in Asia based on seats flown. November 2014 marked the delivery of their 100th aircraft, completing their initial order.
The year 2015 was transformative. In March, IndiGo crossed the 100 million-passenger mark. In August, they placed an order for 250 Airbus A320neo aircraft, a staggering $27 billion deal that set a new record for the largest single order in Airbus history. On October 19th, 2015, the company announced its initial public offering, which opened on October 27th.
IndiGo further strengthened its regional presence in October 2017 with plans for new flight connections across several cities. November 2017 saw the delivery of their first ATR 72-600, and by December 2017, ATR operations commenced in Hyderabad. October 2019 brought another record-breaking order for 300 Airbus A320neo aircraft, valued at ₹2.3 lakh crore (US$27 billion). In December 2019, IndiGo became the first Indian airline to operate 1,500 daily flights and, by December 31st, 2019, boasted India's largest fleet with over 250 aircraft.
The year 2020 saw the addition of 10 new domestic and 8 new international destinations, increasing IndiGo's fleet to 262 aircraft and adding 45 net aircraft during the year. Over 75 million passengers were carried in 2020.
Significant milestones continued into 2023. In January, IndiGo became the first Indian airline to operate a fleet of over 300 aircraft. February 2023 marked the induction of their first wide-body aircraft, a leased Boeing 777-300ER. June 2023 saw an unprecedented order for 500 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history. As of November 2023, IndiGo held a commanding 61.8% domestic market share. December 2023 was another landmark, with IndiGo becoming the first Indian airline to carry over 100 million passengers in a single calendar year.
In April 2024, IndiGo formally entered the wide-body market with an order for 30 A350-900s, with options for 70 more, valued at $5 billion. Deliveries are set to begin in 2027. November 14th, 2024, saw the entry into service of their first A321neo featuring the new IndiGoStretch business class product.
IndiGo is headquartered in Gurgaon, India, and is publicly listed as NSE: INDIGO. In December 2025, InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo's parent company, is scheduled to be included in the BSE Sensex.
The airline's logo features twenty dots arranged in the shape of an aircraft. Its primary livery is a striking indigo and sky blue color scheme, with indigo paint extending from the underbody fuselage to the tail, complemented by sky blue accents. Winglets and engines are indigo, with the website "goIndiGo.in" emblazoned in white. The IndiGo name is written in indigo on both sides of the fuselage and tail. A secondary two-tone blue livery on a white background is also used, with an indigo belly and white logo. Flight attendants wear a navy-blue tunic with a cap and a thin indigo belt.
IndiGo has emerged as one of the fastest-growing low-cost carriers globally and the largest airline in India, largely attributed to its cost-efficient business model. Operating a single aircraft type, the Airbus A320 family, with a consistent seating configuration, simplifies training and maintenance. Bulk deals with Airbus further reduce unit costs. The airline targets a rapid 20-minute turnaround time, ensuring aircraft fly approximately 12 hours daily. Employees often share multiple roles, with check-in staff also handling baggage. In July 2023, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation fined IndiGo ₹30 lakh for systemic deficiencies in operational documentation. In March 2025, the Income Tax department imposed a penalty of ₹944.20 crore on InterGlobe Aviation for the assessment year 2021-22.
As of November 2025, IndiGo operates over 2,700 daily flights to 137 destinations, with 94 domestic and 43 international. Its main hub is in Delhi, supported by bases in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Kochi. IndiGo received its international flight license in January 2011, and its first international service launched between New Delhi and Dubai on September 1st, 2011. The airline plans to expand its international network to destinations like Bishkek and Siem Reap, further strengthening its global presence.
IndiGo has codeshare agreements with several airlines, and also maintains interline agreements with Jetstar.
As of August 2025, IndiGo operates a fleet of 434 aircraft. This predominantly Airbus fleet includes the ATR 72-600 regional turboprop, narrow-body aircraft like the Airbus A320, A320neo, and A321neo, and wide-body aircraft, including two wet-leased Boeing 777s. IndiGo has also wet-leased six Boeing 787 aircraft from Norse Atlantic, with inaugural flights commencing March 1st, 2025. Additionally, they have wet-leased Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from Qatar Airways and Corendon Airlines, and Airbus A320s from Smartlynx Airlines and Freebird Airlines, to manage growing demand and aircraft groundings due to supply chain issues. IndiGo also has 60 Airbus A350-900 aircraft on order, with deliveries starting in 2027, and plans further narrow-body expansion. IndiGo CarGo operates three Airbus A321 freighter aircraft for dedicated cargo services.
IndiGo primarily offers economy class seating. All flights include complimentary nuts with meals or drinks. While a buy-on-board meal program is available, hot meals are not offered as aircraft are not equipped with ovens to minimize costs. However, hot drinks, heated meals, and instant options prepared with hot water, such as noodles, upma, poha, and sandwiches, are available. There is no in-flight entertainment; "Hello 6E" is IndiGo's in-flight magazine. Premium services like 6E Upgrade and Super 6E Fare offer benefits such as pre-assigned seats, multiple cancellations, free snacks, priority check-in, and extra baggage allowance for a higher fare. In September 2019, a partnership with SonyLIV was announced to provide entertainment options. In 2024, IndiGo launched IndiGoStretch, their business class seats, offering complimentary meals, advance seat selection, and zero convenience fees, with further benefits available through the IndiGoStretch+ fare.
On May 21st, 2025, an IndiGo flight experienced severe turbulence due to a sudden hailstorm, leading the pilot to declare an emergency and land safely in Srinagar. The aircraft sustained damage to its nose and was grounded for repairs. In December 2025, disruptions occurred due to failure to adapt to new flight staffing rules announced in January 2024, resulting in thousands of flight cancellations.
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InterGlobe Aviation Limited, doing business as IndiGo, is an Indian airline headquartered in Gurgaon. It is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 64.2% domestic market share as of August 2025. It is the second largest Asian airline, and one of the largest in the world in terms of passengers carried, with more than 31.9 million passengers carried in the fourth quarter of 2025. As of November 2025, IndiGo operates over 2,700 daily flights to 137 destinations – 94 domestic and 43 international. It operates cargo services under its subsidiary, IndiGo CarGo. Its primary hub is at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.
The airline was established as a private company by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises—an Indian multinational conglomerate based in Gurugram— and Rakesh Gangwal in 2005. It took delivery of its first aircraft in July 2006 and commenced operations a month later, on 4 August 2006. The airline became the largest Indian carrier by passenger market share in December 2012. The company went public in October 2015. IndiGo was ranked the 15th most punctual airline globally in 2022 by OAG. It is also the 6th busiest airline in the world, as per data from RadarBox.
== History ==
IndiGo was founded in 2005 as a private company by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal, a United States–based expatriate Indian. InterGlobe had a 51.12% stake in IndiGo, while 47.88% was held by Gangwal's Virginia-based company, Caelum Investments. IndiGo placed a firm order for 100 Airbus A320-200 aircraft in June 2005 with plans to begin operations in mid-2006. The airline took delivery of its first aircraft on 28 July 2006, nearly a year after placing the initial order. It commenced operations on 4 August 2006 with a service from New Delhi to Imphal via Guwahati. By the end of 2006, the airline had six aircraft, and nine more were acquired in 2007.
In April 2007, IndiGo had crossed the 1 million-passenger mark.
In April 2009, IndiGo crossed the 10 million-passenger mark and received delivery of its 25th aircraft.
In December 2010, IndiGo replaced the then state-run carrier Air India, as the third largest airline in India, behind Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways with a passenger market share of 17.3%.
In 2011, IndiGo placed an order for 180 Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal worth US$15 billion. In January 2011, after completing five years of operations, the airline was permitted to launch international flights. Also, in terms of market share, the company became the largest domestic carrier in India in this month. In December 2011, the DGCA expressed reservations that the rapid expansion could impact passenger safety.
In February 2012, IndiGo took delivery of its 50th aircraft, less than six years after it began operations. For the quarter ending March 2012, IndiGo was the most profitable airline in India and became the second largest airline in India in terms of passenger market share. On 17 August 2012, IndiGo became the largest airline in India in terms of market share surpassing Jet Airways, six years after commencing operations. In December 2012, IndiGo crossed the 50 million-passenger mark.
In January 2013, IndiGo was the second fastest-growing low-cost carrier in Asia behind Indonesian airline Lion Air. In February 2013, following the announcement of the Civil Aviation Ministry that it would allow IndiGo to take delivery of only five aircraft that year, the airline planned to introduce low-cost regional flights by setting up a subsidiary. Later, IndiGo announced that it planned to seek permission from the ministry to acquire four more aircraft, therefore taking delivery of nine aircraft in 2013. It took delivery of its 75th aircraft this month. By March 2014, IndiGo was the second-largest low-cost carrier in Asia in terms of seats flown.
In November 2014, IndiGo received its 100th aircraft. This completed IndiGo's initial 100-aircraft order, placed in 2005.
In March 2015, the carrier crossed the 100 million-passenger mark. In August 2015, IndiGo placed an order for 250 Airbus A320neo aircraft worth $27 billion, making it the largest single order in Airbus history. It announced a ₹3,018 crore (equivalent to ₹36 billion or US$420 million in 2023) initial public offering on 19 October 2015 which opened on 27 October 2015.
In October 2017, IndiGo announced its plan to strengthen its regional operations with flight connections including routes to and from Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mangalore, Madurai and Nagpur. 90 new flight connections were announced. On November 2017, IndiGo took delivery of its first ATR 72-600. In December 2017, the commencement of IndiGo's ATR operations in Hyderabad was announced.
In October 2019, IndiGo placed an order for 300 Airbus A320neo aircraft worth ₹2.3 lakh crore (US$27 billion), surpassing its own record of the largest single order in Airbus history. In December 2019, the airline became the first Indian airline to operate 1,500 daily flights. On 31 December 2019, it became India's first airline to have a fleet of more than 250 aircraft.
In 2020, 10 new domestic and 8 new international destinations were added. IndiGo's fleet increased to 262 aircraft. 45 net aircraft were added during the year. Over 75 million passengers were carried during the year 2020.
In January 2023, the airline became the first Indian airline to have a fleet of more than 300 aircraft. In February 2023, the airline inducted its first wide-body aircraft, a wet-leased Boeing 777-300ER, to its fleet. In June 2023, the airline placed an order for 500 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history. As of November 2023, IndiGo had a 61.8% domestic market share. In December 2023, IndiGo became the first Indian airline to have carried over 100 million passengers in a calendar year.
In April 2024, it formally entered the wide-body space by placing an order of 30 A350-900s, with 70 options for $5 billion. The delivery of these aircraft will commence in 2027. On 14 November 2024, the airline's first A321neo with IndiGo's new business class product, IndiGoStretch, entered service.
== Corporate affairs ==
IndiGo is headquartered in Gurgaon, India. The company is publicly listed under the moniker NSE: INDIGO. In December 2025, InterGlobe Aviation (the parent company of IndiGo) is set to be added to the BSE Sensex, replacing Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, as part of a periodic index reconstitution.
=== Logo and livery ===
Twenty dots arranged in the shape of an aircraft serve as the airline's logo. The airline's primary livery is an indigo and sky blue colour scheme which uses an indigo paint job that starts from the underbody fuselage and continues till the end of the tail section, along with sky blue accents around the fuselage and on the tail. The winglets and engines of the aircraft are indigo in colour with the airline's website link, "goIndiGo.in", written on the engines in white in the same font as the IndiGo badging. The IndiGo badging is written in the same indigo colour on both sides of the fuselage and the tail. The airline uses a secondary two-tone blue livery on a white background with the belly of the aircraft painted in indigo with the logo in white.
Flight attendants
The flight attendants wear a single-piece navy-blue tunic with a cap and a thin indigo belt.
== Financials and operations ==
IndiGo became one of the fastest growing low-cost carriers in the world and the largest airline in India. Its success has been attributed to its unique business model which reduces costs. The airline operates a single type of aircraft, the Airbus A320 family, in similar seating configuration which simplifies crew training and maintenance. The airline strikes bulk deals with Airbus, reducing unit costs. The airline targets a quick, 20-minute turn-around time to prepare the aircraft for the next flight, ensuring planes fly about 12 hours per day. Employees share multiple roles with a check-in staff doubling as baggage handlers. In July 2023, Indian aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation imposed a ₹30 lakh (US$35,000) fine on IndiGo for certain systemic deficiencies concerning documentation pertaining to operations, training, and engineering procedures. Also, in March 2025, the Income Tax department imposed a penalty of ₹944.20 crore (US$110 million) on InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo's parent company, for the assessment year 2021-22.
The key trends for IndiGo are (as of the financial year ending 31 March):
== Network ==
As of November 2025, IndiGo operates more than 2,700 daily flights to 137 destinations, 94 in India and 43 abroad. Its main hub is at Delhi, with additional bases at Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Kochi. In January 2011, IndiGo received a license to operate international flights after completing five years of operations. IndiGo's first international service was launched between New Delhi and Dubai on 1 September 2011. The airline announced that it will expand its international destinations to Bishkek and Siem Reap, among many others in southeastern and central Asia and eastern Africa, to increase its global presence.
=== Codeshare agreements ===
IndiGo codeshares with the following airlines:
=== Interline agreements ===
IndiGo has interline agreements with the following airlines:
Jetstar
== Fleet ==
As of August 2025, IndiGo operates a fleet of 434 aircraft. It has a majority-Airbus fleet with aircraft ranging from turboprop regional aircraft ATR 72-600, to narrow-body aircraft Airbus A320, Airbus A320neo, Airbus A321neo, to wide-body aircraft consisting of two wet-leased Boeing 777s from Turkish Airlines. IndiGo made a wet-lease agreement with Norse Atlantic for 6 Boeing 787 aircraft, with its inaugural flight on 1 March 2025. It has also wet-leased Boeing 737 MAX from Qatar Airways and Corendon Airlines, as well as the Airbus A320 from Smartlynx Airlines and Freebird Airlines, to meet the rapidly-growing demand and traffic and to cope up with aircraft groundings due to supply-chain constraints. Apart from these, it also has 60 Airbus A350-900 aircraft on order, with deliveries starting from 2027. It also plans to order more narrow-body aircraft to further expand its global outreach.
IndiGo also operates three Airbus A321 freighter aircraft as part of its dedicated subsidiary, IndiGo CarGo, for cargo operations.
== Services ==
IndiGo mainly offers economy class seating. IndiGo provides nuts with meals or drinks in all of its flights. While it has a buy-on board in-flight meal programme, no hot meals are available as, to minimise costs, IndiGo aircraft are not equipped with ovens. However, hot drinks, heated meals, and instant meals prepared with hot water like instant noodles, upma, poha, and sandwiches are available. No in-flight entertainment is available; Hello 6E is IndiGo's in-flight magazine. IndiGo offers multiple premium services, such as 6E Upgrade and Super 6E Fare, where the passengers can avail a pre-assigned seat, multiple cancellations, free snacks, priority check-in at a higher fare, and extra baggage allowance. In September 2019, the company announced a tie-up with SonyLIV, an on-demand video app, to provide passengers with entertainment options aboard flights and at the airport.
In 2024, they launched IndiGoStretch, their business class seats. Benefits include complimentary meals, advance seat selection, and zero convenience fee as standard. Customers can avail more benefits by opting for the IndiGoStretch+ fare.
== Incidents ==
On 21 May 2025, an IndiGo flight 6E2142 from Delhi to Srinagar encountered severe turbulence when a sudden hailstorm struck it mid-air causing panic amongst those onboard. The pilot declared an emergency and landed the aircraft at the Srinagar International Airport without any reported injuries. The aircraft suffered visible damage to the nose due to hailstorm and was declared Aircraft On Ground for urgent repairs.
In December 2025, failure to adjust to new flight staffing rules, which were announced in January 2024, caused a mass disruption of IndiGo's operations, leading to thousands of flights being cancelled.
== See also ==
List of airports in India
Aviation in India
List of companies of India
Transport in India
== Notes ==
== References ==
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