IndiGo, last month, 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 is finally stepping confidently into the long-haul game. Starting July 2025, non-stop flights will connect Mumbai to Manchester and Amsterdam. As part of a damp lease agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways, IndiGo will induct six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners into its fleet by early 2026. These wide-body jets will power new routes to London and Copenhagen, and possibly more as IndiGo becomes more comfortable with its long-haul operations.

What to expect on IndiGo’s widebody flights?

IndiGo has already had one Boeing 787-9 on lease, which has been used to operate Delhi – Bangkok – Delhi flights since March 2025, until the end of June 2025. This aircraft has now been moved to Mumbai and will operate the flights between Mumbai and Manchester and then between Mumbai and Amsterdam on alternate days.

On board, we don’t know much about the product on offer, since IndiGo will prefer to reveal the product to those on board rather than showcase it beforehand. But here is what we can already tell you.

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 realised soon enough that to compete with the other players in the market and to command a revenue premium, they had to refer to it as Business Class.

Since the plane is on wet lease from Norse Airways and was originally designed for Norwegian Air, the airlines used to sell this as “Premium” cabin, rather than refer to it as a full Business Class, perhaps to differentiate it from a lie-flat bed operated on board a legacy carrier.

The first thing to note is that these are not lie-flat beds, but rather recliners that are being operated on these 787-9 aircraft, in a 2-3-2 configuration.

The second thing of note is that each seat comes with a seat pitch of 43 inches, which compares well with most Business Class products (with recliners, not flatbeds), and a 12-inch recline. Additionally, there is a footrest that allows you to stretch out and have some place to lay your feet on.

Also, there will be leather/ette headrests on board, apart from a pull-out screen for the 200 hours of in-flight entertainment loaded up on the plane.  Movies will include the likes of Joker: Folie a Deux (2024), Baby Shark (for the kids), Superman and Justice/League. Apart from that, there will be TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory, Gossip Girl and others. 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, and you need to pre-book your non-vegetarian meal if you intend to consume non-vegetarian on board, otherwise you by default get the vegetarian meal. For 9-10 hour flights, I assume there will be two meals (one main and one light meal), but it remains to be seen what variety will be the variety offered.

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 the alcoholic beverages on board, whether it will be an open bar or a limit of one or two per premium passenger, remains to be seen. Remember, IndiGo has signed up with Sula Wines to offer canned versions of their Sula Chenin Blanc and Sula Red Zinfandel on board the widebody services.

IndiGo Economy

IndiGo’s Economy offering will be similar to the one in Business Class, but in a 3-3-3 configuration. All the seats will be leather/ette, with a seatback IFE for those long flights, with power ports. Hot meals will be offered with Vegetarian as default, if you don’t pre-book the Non-Vegetarian one. Some Seats will be sold as XL seats as well for the extra legroom they offer.

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.

Bottomline

IndiGo will go long-haul on July 1, 2025, with the launch of flights to Manchester and Amsterdam on successive days (July 1 and 2). The airline will wet lease from Norse Atlantic Airways for now, to offer their 787-9 aircraft as an IndiGo product. On board will be hot meals, in-flight entertainment and a lot more, but at a price point which is lower than the legacy carriers.

What do you think of IndiGo’s launch on the long-haul market?

(All images courtesy IndiGo)

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