IndiGo inducts second Boeing 777 aircraft; to operate on Mumbai-Istanbul route

The airlines said that the new aircraft will not only increase capacity on the route but also help in keeping the fares affordable

Mumbai (Maharashtra): No-frills airline IndiGo on Wednesday said it has inducted a second wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft in its fleet, which it will operate on the Mumbai-Istanbul route. After operating a narrow-body Airbus fleet, in single-class configuration for over 16 years, the Gurugram-based IndiGo commenced twin-aisle aircraft operations earlier this year with one B777 on the Delhi-Istanbul route, wet leased from Turkish Airlines.

IndiGo has a codeshare pact with Turkish Airlines among several other carriers. Codesharing is a commercial arrangement that allows an airline to book its passengers on partner carriers and provide seamless travel to destinations where it has no presence. The addition of the second wide-body aircraft will provide more convenient travel options for people looking to travel between India and Europe this summer, Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer at IndiGo, said.

"Istanbul being a key stop, is also connecting 33 European destinations via our codeshare connectivity. The new aircraft will not only increase capacity on the route but also help in keeping the fares affordable," the airline said. Boeing 777 aircraft has a seating capacity of 400 passengers in a dual-class configuration with 24 seats in the business class and 376 seats in the economy class.

The airline said through its codeshare arrangement with Turkish Airlines, it has been adding connections to European destinations over the last few months. These codeshare connections provide access to countries, including Bulgaria, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, the UK, Malta, France, the Czech Republic, Israel, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, and Edinburgh. (PTI)