Low-cost carrier IndiGo aims to launch daily non-stop flights to Turkey’s capital city of Istanbul by March, according to an airline source.
Istanbul will be the first international destination to be served by the brand new narrow-bodied A321 Neos being inducted by the airline, providing it the capability to fly for six hours non-stop.
“We aim to start direct flights to Istanbul during the (ongoing) winter session,” said an IndiGo official.
The winter schedule starts from the last Sunday of October and continues till the last Saturday of March.
IndiGo recently announced a codeshare agreement with the Turkish Airlines, allowing a passenger to book a connecting flight with the partner airline on one ticket for sectors between India, Istanbul and beyond.
The airline also has plans to provide onward connectivity to destinations in Europe, including the U.K. It is reliably learnt that IndiGo is exploring the option of flying to Birmingham or Gatwick. Last year, Air India resumed its direct flights from Amritsar to Birmingham, which boasts of a large Indian population. Air India operates its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route.
When asked how IndiGo will lure passengers to its flights to UK, the official said that the airline’s “competitive fares” will give it an edge over other carriers.
The airline is also known to be exploring destinations in southern parts of China such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Kunming as well as expand its reach in the Gulf region by adding Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The destinations served in the Gulf include Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Muscat, Kuwait and Sharjah.
The airline recently added international destinations such as Colombo, Male, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur to its network.