GURUGRAM- India’s largest low-cost carrier, IndiGo Airlines (6E) is set to expand its network at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD) this December, launching four new routes to enhance travel options for passengers in Ahmedabad.
Starting December 10, IndiGo’s winter schedule will connect Ahmedabad with Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Kochi, and Kolkata. This move aims to improve connectivity and meet growing demand during the winter travel season.
IndiGo Ahmedabad Flights
For the Ahmedabad-Thiruvananthapuram route, flights will operate four times weekly, departing Ahmedabad at 4:15 pm and arriving in Thiruvananthapuram by 7:15 pm. Return flights will leave Thiruvananthapuram at 7:35 pm, reaching Ahmedabad by 9:55 pm.
The Ahmedabad-Kochi route will offer flights three times a week, while daily flights will connect Ahmedabad with both Kolkata and Guwahati, providing more consistent travel options across these cities, Ahmedabad Mirror reported.
With these new routes, IndiGo aims to strengthen its domestic presence and offer passengers more flexibility and convenience in travel.
Renewed Lease Planes
IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has secured approval from the Centre to extend the wet lease of 11 Airbus A320 aircraft, according to sources.
This approval, granted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is expected to strengthen IndiGo’s operational capacity and improve service efficiency amid rising passenger demand and ongoing efforts to expand its fleet despite Aircraft on Ground (AOG) issues caused by engine snags.
Last year, IndiGo received DGCA clearance to lease 11 A320s from SmartLynx Airlines on a wet lease. Under this arrangement, the leased aircraft come with crew and maintenance support, providing IndiGo a short-term solution to handle supply constraints. The renewed leases aim to support the airline’s competitiveness in India’s fast-growing aviation sector.
Currently, IndiGo operates more than 20 A320ceo aircraft on damp and secondary leases and six Boeing 737s leased from Qatar Airways. As of November 2024, its operating fleet comprises 384 aircraft, including 24 A320ceos, 200 A320neos, 112 A321neos, 45 ATRs, and three A321 freighters.
In response to Businessline’s inquiry, Abhijit DasGupta, Senior Vice President of Network Planning and Revenue Management at IndiGo, confirmed that the airline is “in the process of extending leases for some aircraft” as part of its strategy to address supply chain challenges and meet capacity goals.
This step, he added, will help IndiGo manage growing demand while working with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to minimize the impact of AOGs in the fiscal years 2024-25.
During a recent analyst call, Chief Financial Officer Gaurav Negi stated that AOGs are on a downward trend, expected to drop to the mid-40s by April 2025, which will likely reduce costs associated with AOG mitigation.
IndiGo’s operating lease liabilities for the second quarter totaled ₹47,779.4 crore. Negi noted that as the AOG situation stabilizes, the airline plans to phase out the damp-leased aircraft.
Leased Aircraft Routes
IndiGo will continue operating Airbus A320 aircraft leased from SmartLynx Airlines (6Y) for the Northern Winter 2024/25 season, scheduled from October 27, 2024, to March 29, 2025. The airline’s planned A320 routes during this period reported by Aeroroutes are listed as follows.
From Bangalore:
- Ahmedabad: 3 daily flights
- Bhopal: 2 daily flights
- Bhubaneswar: 2 daily flights
- Coimbatore: 15 weekly flights
- Deoghar: 1 daily flight
- Durgapur: 1 daily flight
- Goa Dabolim: 2 daily flights
- Goa Manohar: 1 weekly flight, additional dates in November 2024
- Hirasar: 1 daily flight
- Hyderabad: 1 daily flight
- Indore: 2 daily flights
- Jaipur: 2 daily flights
- Jharsuguda: 1 daily flight
- Kochi: 6 weekly flights
- Kolkata: 4 daily flights
- Lucknow: 3 daily flights
- Mumbai: 1 daily flight
- Raipur: 1 daily flight
- Udaipur: 1 daily flight
- Vadodara: 1 daily flight
- Vishakhapatnam: 2 daily flights
From Delhi:
- Agartala: 1 daily flight
- Belgaum: 3 weekly flights
- Bhopal: 1 daily flight
- Bhubaneswar: 2 daily flights
- Goa Dabolim: 1 daily flight
- Goa Manohar: 1 daily flight
- Hubli: 4 weekly flights
- Indore: 1 daily flight
- Kolkata: 1 daily flight
- Nagpur: 1 daily flight
- Nasik: 1 daily flight
- Vijayawada: 1 daily flight
These schedules are subject to change based on operational requirements.
Feature Image by Clément Alloing | Flickr
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