IndiGo leases a B787-9 Dreamliner from Norse Atlantic Airways

India’s largest carrier IndiGo has leased a Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner from Norse Atlantic Airways. This comes amid the airline’s ambitious growth plans, focusing on expanding internationally.

IndiGo B787-9

IndiGo will damp-lease a Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways. The airline says that there is a possibility for more aircraft to be leased, increasing their collaboration.

IndiGo says that the aircraft is expected to start operations in March, with the aircraft arriving in the next few weeks. The initial term of the agreement is six months, extendable to 18 months subject to regulatory approvals.

This contract represents an important milestone for Norse as we partner with one of the largest and most reputable airlines in the world. We look forward to support IndiGo’s long haul services, and to deliver an exceptional travel experience to their customers.

Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO and Founder of Norse Atlantic Airways said.

What is a damp lease?

There are three types of lease agreements for aircraft – Wet Lease, Damp Lease and Dry Lease. A wet lease is an arrangement in which one airline (the lessor) provides an aircraft along with its crew, maintenance, and insurance to another airline (the lessee).

A damp lease falls between a wet lease and a dry lease. In a damp lease, the lessor supplies the aircraft, maintenance, insurance, and some crew members, while the lessee provides the remaining crew. In contrast, a dry lease only includes the aircraft, with no crew or additional services provided.

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Long-haul ambition

For a long time, IndiGo’s executives have been saying that the airline has reached a stage where there’s very little room for expansion in the domestic market. Of course, it can continue to expand on its existing routes but the possibilities of adding new destinations are becoming thinner everyday. The airline already serves 90 destinations in India.

In the past one year only, the carrier has added five new international destinations to its network – Mauritius, Langkawi, Penang, Jaffna and Bali. The airline’s current fleet of ATR72-600s, A320s and A321s can only help so much, given that those can fly up to 6-7 hours. If IndiGo wants to expand internationally and add long-haul destinations, it needs bigger long-range aircraft and it has done exactly that. The low-cost carrier has already placed an order for 30 A350-900s, with options for 70 more. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2027.

When it comes to wide-body aircraft, IndiGo’s strategy has been different. The airline leased B777-300ERs (Extra Range) from Turkish Airlines and deployed them on its flights to Istanbul from Delhi and Mumbai. This helped it understand the economics of operating wide-body aircraft, which are different from narrow-body aircraft which it operates.

The Indian aviation market is in a very exciting phase right now. With renewed competition from Air India, IndiGo may want to corner itself a fair share of market in the international space too. The A321XLRs (Extra Large Range) and A350s come in there. Airbus is expected to deliver IndiGo’s first A321XLR in mid-2025.

However, the airline will not want to wait until 2027 to add long-haul destinations, given the significant opportunity for expansion. The B787-9 will help the carrier to expedite its long-haul ambition. IndiGo is expected to launch flights to London, Amsterdam, Manchester or Paris with this aircraft.

Featured image by IndiGo and Planespotters.net/Hassakorn Panngam

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