New Delhi: Starting October 25, the start of this year’s winter schedule, India’s largest airline IndiGo would discontinue its wide-body operations, the carrier said on Friday. The airline has terminated its Boeing 787 damp lease agreement with Norway’s Norse Atlantic Airways citing a challenging operating environment marked by geopolitical tensions, rising costs and airspace restrictions.
As part of the move, IndiGo will suspend its Mumbai-London Heathrow services from October 25 until it begins receiving its ordered Airbus A350-900, which is not expected before 2028. However, the airline said it will continue operating its Mumbai-Amsterdam route using the narrow-body Airbus A321XLR aircraft from the same date.
The airline said passengers affected by the discontinuation of its Heathrow flights will be offered alternate travel arrangements or refunds, as applicable.
The decision marks the end of IndiGo’s short-lived experiment with wide-body international operations, which began in early 2025 through a damp lease arrangement for six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from Norse Atlantic Airways. Under a damp lease, the aircraft are provided along with cockpit crew and maintenance, while the airline operates the flights using its own cabin crew and commercial operations.
IndiGo said the programme had achieved its primary objective of helping the airline gain operational experience ahead of the induction of its own Airbus A350 fleet. During the period, the airline said it developed capabilities in long-haul network planning, customer experience, crew operations, maintenance, airport handling, revenue management and international partnerships.
However, the airline said the operating environment had deteriorated significantly since the project was conceived. Airspace constraints arising from Pakistan air space closure for Indian airlines and US-Iran war, high aviation fuel prices and depreciating value of Indian Rupees increased operating costs, affecting route efficiency, schedule reliability and overall competitiveness.
Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Planning and Revenue Management, IndiGo, said,”The global aviation industry continues to navigate ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, necessitating a prudent deployment of resources in the short term while preserving long-term strategic objectives.”
He said the leased wide-body operation was intended to build capabilities for the airline’s future long-haul ambitions rather than serve specific routes permanently, adding that IndiGo remains committed to expanding its international network.
The move will leave Air India as the only Indian carrier operating wide body aircraft.
