IndiGo heads to China later this year with flight to Chengdu

For the past few months, IndiGo had been rapidly expanding its international operations. We saw a whole lot of new routes being added since the second half of 2018. While IndiGo doesn’t operate a widebody fleet, it leads in the short haul international segment. Lately, IndiGo has started ten new international destinations.

IndiGo A320

They also added another frequency on the Delhi – Istanbul route, but they keep on postponing the launch date. For now, the second frequency is set to start on August 1, 2019. IndiGo also pulled out of Ahmedabad-Doha and Thiruvananthapuram – Doha temporarily. Flights on both routes will resume in the winter season from October 27, 2019. They even added two more frequencies on the Delhi-Kathmandu sector.

We have known for quite some time that IndiGo will launch flights to China this year. Now, IndiGo has confirmed that they will launch daily flights on the Delhi – Chengdu sector from September 15, 2019. Chengdu will be IndiGo’s 19th international destination.

IndiGo’s international expansion since the second half of 2018

While a schedule isn’t out yet, the flight numbers are 6E 7303/7304. IndiGo even held a press conference in Chengdu on June 12, 2019, to announce the new route.

Here are a few glimpses from the press conference held today in Chengdu, China where we officially announced the expansion of our network. This route will be exclusive and will make Chengdu, our 19th international destination.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/Zr8mTcJMSJ

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) June 12, 2019

Currently, no carrier offers a nonstop flight on the Delhi – Chengdu sector. IndiGo will face stiff pricing competition from Chinese airlines who offer low fares on one-stop routes. China Southern is currently offering INR 29k roundtrip economy fares on one-stop Delhi – Chengdu route with all four segments on a widebody.

Chengdu is an exciting place for both tourists and business travellers. It is the capital of Sichuan province, which is famous for three things: Food, pandas and industries. Sichuan has one of the largest industrial complexes in the world. Chengdu also hosts a lot of conventions and exhibitions which a lot of Indian businesspeople and traders visit regularly.

Giant Panda at one of Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries

Chengdu attracts a lot of tourists who visit Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries. It is the capital of Sichuan food. You may be familiar with Sichuan dishes like Kung Pao chicken, Laziji, Mapo Doufu and so-on. There are nearby places like Huanglong, Mount Emei, Jiuzhaigou Valley and so-on worth visiting. Also on the cards is flights to Kunming, Vietnman, Russia and so-on.

Have you visited Chengdu before? Will you book IndiGo’s new flight to Chengdu Airport?

Comments

Girish says:

June 17, 2019 at 2:08 am

Yes Sichuan cuisine is amazing. I’ve only heard about the natural wonders of this region, but hopefully Indian travellers will go for it.

BTW it would be great if IndiGo works with one of the Chinese carriers at CTU for further connectivity. IIRC Air China and Sichuan Airlines have hubs there.

Awaiting CCU-CAN-CCU formal announcement as well.

RNS says:

June 13, 2019 at 6:55 pm

Gotta commend Indigo for finding a route that has the potential to be big in O&D in future (from a biz standpoint), while potentially a boon for Chinese tourists to India (Golden Triangle continues to be a hot travel destination). Not sure how many Indians appreciate the wonders of China just yet to make Chengdu their first stop and not Beijing or Shanghai.

I believe Indigo is also targeting the Chinese tourists travelling to Middle East (and potentially to Nepal/SEA) through the 1 stopper in Delhi. What’s your take on it?

PS: I lived in Shanghai for 5 years, absolutely loved Sichuan’s food and natural beauty, and managed to explore some hidden gems around Kunming (Shangri-La etc), so very excited to read Indigo is planning routes to Kunming as well 🙂
Just wish Mumbai got some attention from Indigo too, hopefully once the new airport opens 😉