Indian carrier IndiGo plans to double capacity by end of decade

IndiGo, India's biggest airline, aims to double its capacity by the end of the decade by expanding its network in the country and flying to new international destinations, its CEO told analysts on Thursday. Air travel has recovered strongly from the impact of COVID-19, although global supply chain disruptions continue to delay the delivery of aircraft and components, and the financial problems of some airlines have raised concerns of possible cost increases. IndiGo's next phase of growth will involve "combining our very strong Indian foundations with our international aspirations," Pieter Elbers told analysts in a call after the airline reported its second consecutive quarterly profit. The budget carrier has over 300 aircraft, mainly the Airbus' A320 family of planes, which it uses to serve 78 domestic and 26 international destinations. It has another 500 planes on order that have yet to be delivered, Elbers said. It is also in talks on a new order of over 500 planes, Reuters has reported. IndiGo's expansion comes as smaller rival Go First files for bankruptcy this month and budget carrier SpiceJet is under pressure from lessors over non-payment of dues. SpiceJet has said it has no plans to file for insolvency and was grateful for the support it had had from its lessors. Go First's bankruptcy has caused nervousness among the international lessor community, with some saying that the increase in risk will raise leasing costs for all Indian airlines.<br/>