IndiGo has partnered with Turkish airlines to expand its reach to Europe, and has also ordered nearly 500 aircraft as part of its expansion plan, said the airline's head of international sales, Vinay Malhotra on Friday.
He further added that it will help improve passenger services from India to Istanbul and to Europe.
IndiGo has aircraft in the pipeline from European giant Airbus that will ensure steady delivery till 2030, according to airline officials.
"We are currently flying over 300 aircraft and we have nearly 500 more on order. Off course, the expansion depends a lot on the frequency and the timing of when we get an aircraft. But as and when the aircraft are coming, they will be deployed into the domestic market and some overseas," Malhotra told ANI.
Malhotra further said the airline is currently flying 1,800 flights a day and 10 per cent of them on international routes.
"Currently IndiGo is flying 1,800 flights a day and 10 per cent of them on international routes. Our current international flights are concentrated around the Indian sub-continent and some other countries around. The farthest we travel is to Turkey and Istanbul. We have been very keen to fly further and that's why a partnership with Turkish airlines. This is a code ship partnership which allows us to penetrate Europe like never before," he said.
Malhotra said that as a codeshare agreement with the Turkish airlines, IndiGo will be able to carry passengers from India to Istanbul and from Istanbul to beyond.
"We are having 27 points in Europe which covers the UK, France, Italy, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, and so many more points. These points have multiple frequencies with Turkish airlines and with our partnership with them as a codeshare we are able to carry passengers from India to Istanbul and from Istanbul to beyond. Within India too with our 76 online points, we are able to funnel people from all over India into Delhi and Mumbai further to Istanbul and then beyond to Europe," he added.
Talking about the competition, without naming Air India, which recently ordered 470 planes, he said, "Competition is always welcomed. India has currently approximately 7.3 per cent less than 100 million people who have a passport. As Indian people get a passport the first thing they want to do is fly overseas. There is huge potential for travellers who are aspiring to travel within India or overseas. So we are in the right place at the right time to take people beyond the borders of India."
He further said that in near future IndiGo will launch two new points, one would be Nairobi in Kenya and Jakarta in Indonesia.
When asked why people should choose IndiGo to go to Europe and no other airlines, he said, "We are offering the best connectivity to Europe and IndiGo assures people of hassle-free service, on-time performance and affordable fares."
( With inputs from ANI )
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