IndiGo goes long haul with the A321XLR in January 2026. What to expect? Ovens, Hot Meals, Charging Ports and Non Flatbed Business Class

In June 2025, IndiGo dropped a massive set of announcements that signalled its ambitions to move beyond being a domestic and regional powerhouse.

After years of operating primarily short- and medium-haul routes, IndiGo finally stepped into the long-haul game. Starting July 2025, non-stop flights connect Mumbai to Manchester, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Later this month, flights between Mumbai and London Heathrow will launch, and then there will be flights between Delhi and Manchester as well.  As part of a damp lease agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways, IndiGo will induct a total of six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners into its fleet by early 2026.

IndiGo also announced flights to Athens with its A321XLR in June 2025, and these have been put up for sale, with flights starting in January 2026. We uncover all the clues about the IndiGo product on their XLR aircraft.

Airbus A321XLR: What is unique?

The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step from the A320neo, which responds to market needs for even more range and payload, creating more value for the airlines. It promises to deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700 nautical miles (equivalent to 5,400 miles) – 15% more range than the A321LR with 30% lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous generation competitor aircraft and reduced NOx emissions and noise. However, launch airlines continue to operate on the 3200-3400-mile segments.

So far, the following airlines have inducted the A321XLR into their fleet:

• Iberia: Operates Madrid – Boston and Madrid – Washington DC (read flight review here)
• Air Lingus: Operates Dublin – Nashville and Dublin – Indianapolis
• Qantas: Operates Sydney – Melbourne and Sydney – Perth
• WizzAir: Operates London – Jeddah

IndiGo’s A321XLR Plans

So far, Airbus has secured more than 500 orders for the aircraft, including 69-70 from Indian carrier IndiGo. IndiGo expects to induct its XLR aircraft in 2025, as mentioned before, but it is now being talked about openly by IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers. As one of the aircraft’s most significant customers, with over 12% of the book currently, IndiGo has big plans for the aircraft.

IndiGo has confirmed that its XLRs will feature 12 business class and 183 economy seats, offering more legroom than the current 222-232 seats on A321neos and the 12 Business and 208 Economy configuration on Stretch Cabin routes.

The new aircraft will allow the airline to fly between 7 and 8 hours from its Indian bases.

 

 

Now we know much more than we learned earlier. Read on.

IndiGo Stretch

IndiGo Stretch is IndiGo’s fit-to-purpose Business Class product, as IndiGo calls it. Earlier, they were even hesitant to refer to it as Business Class. But they soon realised that to compete with other market players and command a revenue premium, they had to refer to it as Business Class.

IndiGo will continue the custom of having a reclining upright seat as its premium product, rather than a flatbed. So, the airline has gone for the Recaro R5 seat, which it uses on the domestic subfleet of Stretch Aircraft yet again, but this time with a calf rest on board. For reference, this is the IndiGo Stretch on Domestic flights (and regional international)

And here are the IndiGo Stretch seats to be fitted on the A321XLR aircraft of IndiGo. It is the same seat, in a 3-3 configuration, but with a calf rest. And 6 inches more of legroom. For reference, the IndiGo Stretch on the A321 aircraft so far is 38″ in terms of seat pitch. But on the new A321XLR, it will be 44″, perhaps also to account for the calf rest.

Here is the seat map.

IndiGo will introduce some of the same enhancements it established as a baseline with the IndiGo Stretch on long-haul flight routes, including gourmet menu options for hot meals and Alcohol in Business Class, as well as lounge access. You also get 2 X 23 kilograms checked baggage allowance.

Also, there will be leather/ette headrests on board.  There will be a Universal Power Adaptor and a USB charger on board.

In terms of meals, we already know there will be hot meals. If you intend to consume non-vegetarian food on board, you need to pre-book your non-vegetarian meal; otherwise, you will get the vegetarian meal by default. For 7-hour flights, I assume there will be two meals (one main and one light meal).

We already know that there will be no caviar and champagne on board, as IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers has recently said. In terms of alcoholic beverages, there is an unlimited supply in Business Class. Remember, IndiGo has signed up with Sula Wines to offer canned versions of their Sula Chenin Blanc and Sula Red Zinfandel.

IndiGo Economy

IndiGo’s Economy offering will be similar to the one in domestic, but with extra padded seats and more leg room. IndiGo has picked up the Recaro R2 Economy Class seat, which comes with a seatback device holder. The airline guarantees you extra padding on these seats, and yes, you get 31″ legroom, compared to the usual 28.5″ on the domestic proposition. Although they could have gone with the R3 as well, just saying.

You can also see that IndiGo will have charging ports on their XLR seatbacks, even for the Economy cabin. Overall, IndiGo will have a competitive product on offer, which intends to come in at a different price point than a legacy carrier operating the route (if any). Additionally, the addition of hot meals and IFE will make it different from the current IndiGo experience, which does not offer either of these aspects.

As IndiGo has done so far, you will be able to get Economy Class hot meals as part of your ticket. However, if you want a blanket, a dental kit, or other amenities, these are available on a paid basis, along with Alcohol for Economy Class passengers.

Streaming IFE to be offered

IndiGo has partnered with Bluebox to offer a digital in-flight experience on its A321XLRs. It enables passengers to enjoy a wide range of entertainment on their personal devices, including popular Indian and Hollywood films, TV shows, games, anime, and animated series. Bluebox Aviation is the same company that powers in-flight wireless streaming on the Air India aircraft as well.

The most crucial part will be the lavatories, which I believe IndiGo will install four of: one in the front (exclusive to Business Class) and three at the back. So, try to score a seat in the front of the Economy Cabin if you are interested in flying IndiGo’s XLR.

Bottomline

IndiGo will go long-haul on its own metal in January 2026, with the launch of flights to Athens from Mumbai and Delhi on successive days. The airline will induct its first A321XLR in late 2025 or early 2026. On board, you’ll find hot meals, in-flight entertainment, and more, all at a lower price point than legacy carriers.

What do you think of IndiGo’s product on the XLR Aircraft?

---

Liked our articles and our efforts? Please pay an amount you are comfortable with; an amount you believe is the fair price for the content you have consumed. Please enter an amount in the box below and click on the button to pay; you can use Netbanking, Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, QR codes, or any Wallet to pay. Every contribution helps cover the cost of the content generated for your benefit.

(Important: to receive confirmation and details of your transaction, please enter a valid email address in the pop-up form that will appear after you click the ‘Pay Now’ button. For international transactions, use Paypal to process the transaction.)

We are not putting our articles behind any paywall where you are asked to pay before you read an article. We are asking you to pay after you have read the article if you are satisfied with the quality and our efforts.