‘We left that station already’: IndiGo’s Elbers brushes off ‘traditional LCC’ label

IndiGo chief Pieter Elbers has pushed back on calling the airline a “traditional” low-cost operator, noting that it already has undertaken a series of initiatives that other low-cost carriers would not usually take. Speaking at the CAPA India Aviation Summit in Delhi, Elbers said IndiGo was a “unique” carrier that was “building on the development of India as a country”. “We have a co-branded credit card – is that what a traditional LCC does? We have eight [airline] partners, having just signed Japan Airlines – is that what a traditional LCC does?” says Elbers. He adds: “I think we left the station of being [labelled] a ‘typical LCC’ if there is a such a thing. We left that station already. I don’t think we need to be labelled in one way or the other…IndiGo is a unique airline and we develop in a way that it should be developed.” Elbers’s comments come as the airline announced a flurry of fleet and product investments, including rolling out a business-class product by the end of year, as well as placing orders for 30 Airbus A350s. The airline is also due to take delivery of its first A321XLR in 2025, an aircraft Elbers says “brings a new dynamic” to its fleet and network strategy. <br/>