Delhi-based low-cost airline IndiGo is in the market seeking engines for the Airbus aircraft it has placed an order for.

There is no clarity on the number of engines that IndiGo is looking for, the number of aircraft involved and the timeline. IndiGo, too, declined to comment on the subject.

IndiGo placed a firm order for 300 Airbus A-320 New Engine Option (NEO) aircraft, which were a mix of A320 NEO, A321 NEO and A321 XLR or Extra Long Range aircraft in October last year. This order took Indigo’s total aircraft order of A320 NEO family aircraft to 730.

The book value of the order was estimated at $30-33 billion, although aircraft manufacturers are known to give huge discounts when bulk orders are placed. The delivery schedule for these aircraft, or the engines which will be fitted on them were not announced then.

Incidentally in June last year, IndiGo ordered CFM International LEAP 1-A engines to power 280 Airbus A-320 Neo and Airbus A-321 Neo aircraft in its fleet. The $20-billion order at list price meant IndiGo was moving away from Pratt & Whitney, whose engines have been facing problems for a while now.

At an analyst call on October 29 soon after the second quarter results for this fiscal were announced, Ronojoy Dutta, Whole Time Director and Chief Executive Officer IndiGo, had said that in fiscal year 2022, the airline will be down slightly (in terms of inducting aircraft) while in 2023 it will be up again (in term of aircraft induction).

He also said that the airline fleet plan was stable and had not changed much and was proceeding according to plan.

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