Half of the total new routes to be added by IndiGo this year will be international ones, according to the airline’s chief commercial officer Willy Boulter.

On the airline’s radar are destinations such as Vietnam and Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and China.

“We are bullish about China and are in the process of selecting precise destinations,” said Mr. Boulter. He was speaking to the press at the launch of the airline’s flight to Istanbul — IndiGo’s first stop in Europe.

Mr. Boulter added that connecting India and China is a big opportunity as Chinese airlines have 42 flights into India per week, while Indian carriers have only five flights into China per week. IndiGo is likely to start operations to China before November. The airline is exploring a destination in U.K. as its slot in Gatwick has expired.

In 2019-2020, IndiGo’s capacity on international routes would rise from 15% to 20% of total capacity.

This would be fuelled by the A321 Neos of which the airline plans to induct ‘20-25’ by the end of the year. IndiGo has only one A321 Neo, which is being used to connect Delhi and Istanbul. Some of these A321 Neos would also be deployed on domestic routes to enhance capacity on slot-constrained airports.

(The reporter is in Istanbul on Indigo’s invitation)