IndiGo bets on small biz class, dense economy seating for long-haul flights

New Delhi: No-frills airline IndiGo will bet on a small business class on its long-haul flights to Europe, and a high-density economy layout in an effort to sell more seats than rival Air India and protect its lean cost structure. Air India now holds the advantage of being the only Indian carrier on long-haul routes. The airline will have limited business class and premium economy seats on its Airbus A350 planes. The economy cabin will have over 300 seats-making it one of the densest economy configurations on this aircraft type. Seat pitch in economy will remain standard at 31 inches.

The airline will also offer hot food and in-flight entertainment.

"As the flight length goes beyond the eight-hour range, the product will have to change according to the needs of the market," Aloke Singh, chief strategy officer at IndiGo, said. " But the underlying principle will remain the same: efficiency, cost discipline, scale, connectivity." IndiGo now operates the narrow-body A321 in dual-cabin configuration between India's metros and short-haul international routes.

The airline has ordered 60 Airbus A350-900 widebody jets for long-haul routes and deliveries are expected from 2028. Flying more seats will allow IndiGo to achieve a lower per seat cost, allowing it to compete aggressively with Air India. "We have been able to build a network to create multiple pathways and options for people to travel from one point to another at different times of the day," said Abhijit Dasgupta, the airline's senior VP for planning and revenue management.

IndiGo also plans to use multiple hubs for its long-haul operations. "Each of them has its own geographic strengths and local catchment markets," said Dasgupta.

"Over a reasonable period of time, all major airports where we have built depth will see long-haul capacity."