IndiGo achieved its highest delivery figures to date. The airline maintains a robust undelivered aircraft count of nearly 1,000 planes.
As the largest airline in India by fleet size, IndiGo has significantly contributed to Airbus’s record-breaking year in terms of deliveries. The airline accepted 58 planes in 2024, establishing itself as the largest single customer for deliveries. IndiGo’s share of deliveries represented 7.6 percent of Airbus’s total deliveries last year. This also signified the highest count of deliveries IndiGo has received since taking 41 in 2023, 49 in 2022, 42 in 2021, and 44 in 2020, which was the peak year of the pandemic.
This follows a year after the airline secured an order for 500 planes from Airbus, marking the largest single order ever. Air India received 14 aircraft (including Vistara), all sourced from the order books of lessors, with its own orders set to arrive shortly. Airbus narrowly missed its target of 770 deliveries, managing to deliver 766 planes in 2024, amidst ongoing supply chain difficulties. By the end of December, IndiGo’s backlog of undelivered aircraft from Airbus reached 930 planes, consisting of 241 A320neo, 659 A321neo, and 30 A350-900s. For Air India, the undelivered count stands at 344 planes, including 210 A321neo, 90 A320neo, 19 A350-900, and 25 A350-1000, which also includes the additional order that Air India placed in September for 100 aircraft.
In 2023, IndiGo accepted deliveries of 41 aircraft from Airbus, representing 5.6 percent of the total deliveries from Airbus that year. Nevertheless, the airline ranked second in 2023 as Delta received more deliveries than IndiGo. In 2022, IndiGo received 49 aircraft, the highest by any airline partnering with Airbus, accounting for 7.4 percent of all Airbus deliveries that year. In 2021, IndiGo once again led with 6.9 percent of all Airbus deliveries, which totaled 611 for the Toulouse-based manufacturer, with 42 of those going to IndiGo.
What is driving IndiGo to expand its fleet?
IndiGo faced a challenging start to 2024, having to contend with grounding between 80 and 90 A320neo family aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney. To navigate this situation, the airline employed a combination of wet-lease operations, extended leases, and new deliveries.
Nevertheless, accelerating deliveries at the last moment is not feasible, and the induction strategy must be planned several quarters ahead. IndiGo’s planning has coincided with Air India’s expansion and merger initiatives, reflecting how proactively IndiGo aims to position itself against competition. Airbus has been unable to ramp up production of its popular A320 family. However, production slots do become available periodically due to airlines ceasing operations, as seen with Go FIRST, or due to delays in deliveries from airlines such as Spirit Airlines in the US.
As planes powered by Pratt & Whitney begin to resume operations, IndiGo is reintroducing certain aircraft in its drive to establish a fleet powered by CFM engines and move away from reliance on Pratt & Whitney models. This represents a significant setback for Pratt & Whitney, which has faced a series of challenges since the engine’s introduction in 2016, a considerable duration to rectify the issues. The Air India group has placed all its orders for CFM engines. Meanwhile, Airbus’ smaller models, the A220 and Embraer’s E2 series, have struggled to gain traction in India, likely due to their exclusive use of the Pratt & Whitney GTF (Geared Turbo Fan) engines.
2025 Deliveries
As 2025 approaches, Air India will begin receiving aircraft deliveries. Moreover, IndiGo is set to welcome its first A321XLR. From the perspective of Indian aviation, this year will predominantly favor Airbus while Boeing continues to face challenges. Akasa Air will find itself at a disadvantage, as its entire order book is dedicated to Boeing. Air India Express, the budget subsidiary of Air India, has been incorporating Airbus aircraft from within the group to navigate the crisis, taking over routes from Air India and initiating new ones.
For IndiGo, which has lost some of its dominance in the Indian market to a merged Air India, this year is pivotal and has the potential to be its most successful year yet in terms of deliveries, surpassing those of 2024. The year will also witness the replacement of older aircraft, which typically remain with IndiGo for six years, alongside a broad expansion. The timing is critical as both Navi Mumbai and Noida Airport at Jewar are anticipated to begin operations in the April-to-June quarter, and a significant influx of aircraft before this period will enable the airline to secure slots without sacrificing availability at other airports.
Supply Chain Crisis
Airbus and Boeing are facing difficulties in increasing production to pre-pandemic levels owing to shortages in essential components such as engines, avionics, and semiconductors. Adding to these challenges are constraints in the workforce and logistical issues, including shipping delays and rising freight costs.
Engine manufacturers like Pratt & Whitney and CFM International have encountered obstacles in adhering to delivery timelines, which further intensifies the delays. With a backlog of thousands of aircraft orders worldwide, the ramifications of these disruptions are especially pronounced for Indian airlines, which heavily depend on prompt deliveries to facilitate their growth.
Implications for Indian Airlines
For Indian carriers, the postponement of aircraft deliveries translates to a slower pace of fleet expansion, fewer new routes, and difficulties in meeting increasing passenger demand. This situation could adversely affect profitability, as airlines may be compelled to lease older planes at elevated costs or postpone capacity enhancements, potentially resulting in a loss of market share to rivals.
In 2024, Indian airlines achieved a record addition of 120-130 aircraft to their fleets. IndiGo alone incorporated 52 aircraft from January to September, with an additional 20-25 anticipated by the end of the year. Air India added approximately 70 planes, while Akasa Air introduced four. Nevertheless, the supply crisis threatens to reduce additions by 15-25% in 2025, with Boeing likely delivering 20-30 fewer aircraft to Indian carriers next year.
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