IndiGo sets its first Boeing 787 route…. Bangkok!

After managing to obtain a lease from Norse Atlantic for a Boeing 787-9, IndiGo has confirmed its first destination – Bangkok.

Norse Atlantic – now flying for IndiGo – Image, Norse Atlantic. 

The move to start international services with a Boeing 787 comes ahead of IndiGo’s delivery of Airbus A321XLRs in 2026 and Airbus A350s in 2027, with a very quick ramp-up, with services due to commence on 1st March 2025.

Indigo has published the following timetable:

This is subject to regulatory approval, 

The Boeing 787-9 will be configured as a two-class cabin (inheriting the Norse cabin) featuring 56 IndiGoStretch seats (Premium) in a 2-3-2 configuration, with a 43-inch seat pitch. Economy Class will offer 282 seats in a 3-3-3, with a 31-inch seat pitch.

On the Delhi-Bangkok route, IndiGoStretch’s customers can enjoy complimentary benefits like priority check-in, anytime boarding, advance seat selection, and zero convenience fee. They will also get an additional baggage allowance starting from 30 kg at check-in and one bag weighing up to 12 kg in the cabin. 

Passengers can enjoy specially curated meals by Oberoi Catering Services’ expert chefs, paired with exclusively designed beverages by Sula Vineyards, India’s homegrown brand. 

In Quotes

Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo said: 

“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. The early induction of our wide-body aircraft marks a significant milestone in our journey.

Starting between Delhi and Bangkok, we intend to shift to Europe from mid-summer. We are thrilled to introduce the comfort of IndiGoStretch on our regional international route, after the positive and encouraging feedback domestically. Our roots and fundamentals are Indian but increasingly, the world is where we operate.

As a proud  Indian brand IndiGo believes in great Indian brands supporting each other in going global. In line  with our promise of India by IndiGo, we are committed to partner with the best-in-class Indian  brands such as the Oberoi Catering Services, Sula and others for extending premium services to  IndiGoStretch customers.”

More to come

Earlier this year, IndiGo entered into a damp lease agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways for a  Boeing 787-9 aircraft. IndiGo will continue to explore opportunities to contract additional aircraft.

With the airline looking to Europe (and not, not one city, but a continent), it’ll be dependent on IndiGo obtaining enough aircraft to support the operations. Originally, IndiGo wanted to lease six 787-9s (with Norse having a fleet of 12, four of which are assigned to its UK subsidiary).

Norse Atlantic seems to be keen to lease its fleet out further to ensure higher utilisation, as well as securing a constant income stream.

We’ll have to see what happens next, as IndiGo prepares to stretch its long-haul legs.

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