The “arrival” at the “El. Venizelos” airport was announced by the Indian low-cost airline IndiGo, which is in the process of widely expanding its portfolio of destinations abroad.
The company, which has the largest market share in India, plans to launch direct flights with Athens and with 9 other international cities within this financial year (April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026), expanding its total number of international destinations to 50 within a year.
Flights to Athens will begin in the next 12 months, according to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, and will be based on the addition of an Airbus A321XLR aircraft to the carrier’s fleet.
The airline operates six leased Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Norse Atlantic on its international flights.
IndiGo’s target for the current financial year is to connect 40 international destinations with 20 cities in India through more than 100 new routes, expanding its presence to 90% of the Indian population, as part of an aggressive expansion strategy.
Its new destinations, in addition to Athens, include London, Amsterdam, Manchester, Copenhagen, Siem Reap and four destinations in Central Asia.
In July, it will launch direct flights from Mumbai to Manchester and Amsterdam, using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The Amsterdam connection will mark the airline’s entry into long-haul routes.
Mr Elbers sees huge potential in Indian aviation, where growing demand is matched by rapid infrastructure development, predicting a doubling of passenger numbers by 2030.
According to him, Indian carriers account for 45% of India’s international passenger traffic, while the remaining 55% is served by international airlines.
Currently, the airline, with annual revenues of 10 billion It flies to 90 domestic and 40 international destinations, operating over 2,300 daily flights with a fleet of over 430 aircraft. It serves over 1 million customers every three weeks and has the largest number of female pilots in India (15%) and a strong LGBTQ+ presence in executive positions.
According to Mr. Elbers, 90% of India’s population now lives within range of airports where IndiGo operates.
