Paris Air Show 2023: The 2005 purchase of 100 Airbus aircraft marked the beginning of the IndiGo narrative. Speculation abounds that the airline may place an additional sizable order for Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
Next week, the Paris Air Show will begin at Le Bourget, just north of the metropolis. All attention will be focused on the orders (or LoIs and MoUs) that are signed. In 2019, the Paris Air Show resumes for the first time since Covid.
IndiGo’s saga began in 2005 at the Paris Air Show, when the airline placed an order for 100 A320 aircraft. The then-unknown entity was mocked for placing such a large order before launching the following year. IndiGo has not only received all 100 aircraft, but it has also placed two additional reservations for roughly 500 aircraft.
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Paris Air Show 2023: What do the major participants showcase?
Alongside the agreements, the aircraft manufacturers’ displays are a major focus of interest. Airbus, a significant European aircraft manufacturer headquartered in France, will exhibit the A220, the smallest member of the Airbus family, alongside the A321XLR, which Airbus plans to put into service by 2024. In addition, there will be the A321LR, which has already entered service and opened the transatlantic market for airlines such as jetBlue, and the A350-900, of which Air India will receive six by the end of the year. Additionally, Airbus will display helicopters and defence aircraft.
At the event, ATR will display its most recent ATR 72-600 aircraft. In India, IndiGo, flyBig, and Alliance Air use this. Embraer will exhibit the E195-E2 along with its C 390 and Super Tucano defence aircraft.
Boeing, Airbus’ competitor, will exhibit the 737-10 and 777-9, both of which are uncertified but have airline orders. Boeing will also display its defence helicopters, including the Chinook and the Apache, which are both used by the Indian Air Force.
Riyadh Air’s recently unveiled special livery on the 787 Dreamliner will also be on display. The livery has garnered considerable global attention. In the instance of an aeroplane, the livery is the exterior design of the aircraft.
Additionally, Qatar Airways’ Airbus A350-1000 will be on exhibit. It will be a huge step forward for both Qatar Airways and Airbus to have this aircraft at Paris, particularly after the two companies reached an out-of-court settlement on the issue of peeling paint, over which they had previously fought in a London court.
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Anticipating IndiGo, Air India, and More – What’s in Store?
According to multiple reports, IndiGo may place a second order, which may be larger than the order Air India placed in February of this year. In addition, it is widely believed that the airline may place orders for a widebody.
IndiGo is currently the undisputed market leader in India and has ambitions to expand abroad. While the airline expanded domestically by capitalising on the demise of local heroes and other factors, international operations are an entirely different ballgame, with bilateral rights and other factors entering into play.
The Letter of Intent signed by Air India and Boeing has been formalised with the payment of the first instalment. Will Air India do the same at the Paris air show with Airbus? The orders will then be solidified, paving the way for shipments in the second half of the year.
Widebody, really?
Airbus has dominated the narrowbody industry in India, while Boeing has captured the entire widebody market. Among over 300 Airbus aircraft, IndiGo’s first widebody operation, a damp-leased aircraft (with pilots but no cabin personnel), is the only Boeing in IndiGo livery.
In the past, low-cost and widebody airlines, such as Wow Air, AirAsia X, and Norwegian, have struggled to achieve success. Will IndiGo, therefore, make the transition to widebodies? Will India provide anything for Embraer and ATR?
We will learn within the next week.
