On 4th August 2006, a little bird took off. Little only in size, but with an ambition far greater than itself. To achieve something no Indian airline had ever achieved before. To connect India in every sense, while making the dream of low-cost a reality for many others at the time.
The years rolled by. Step by step, the airline continued to grow, both in fleet size and number of destinations served. Few could have imagined that this little bird, competing with established names like Air India and Jet Airways, would one day become India’s largest airline.
The airline placed record aircraft orders, one after another. Soon, the world’s aviation industry wasn’t just watching Indian aviation – it was watching IndiGo. Not because it was the biggest, but because while much of the Indian aviation industry struggled in the years after the 2008 financial crisis, IndiGo consistently remained profitable.
As a kid, sometime in 2015 or 2016, I remember requesting my parents to book an IndiGo flight from Goa (even when IndiGo did not have flights to my city), just because I wanted to fly with them, even if it meant spending five hours on the road to get home. I didn’t know what attracted me to fly with IndiGo then. But I still vaguely remember that flight.
Fast forward to 2019. With Jet Airways’ exit from the market, IndiGo entered a new era of growth. Since then, there has been no looking back. Hurdles came. They were conquered. Successfully. Because, let’s be honest, operating an airline in India is one of the toughest businesses in the world.
Then came December 2025. A difficult chapter that no airline would ever wish to experience, especially one that had built a remarkable operational record over 19 years. Every airline faces challenges. What matters is how it learns from them and emerges stronger. Hopefully, those lessons ensure it never happens again.
Today, 6E completes 20 years.
20 wonderful years of connecting people.
20 wonderful years of connecting cultures.
20 wonderful years of connecting places.
20 wonderful years of connecting dreams.
20 wonderful years of connecting India.
A little bird took off in 2006. Twenty years later, it soars across the skies of India and beyond.
Dear IndiGo, heartiest congratulations on completing 20 remarkable years. And here’s to the next 20 years of connecting India to the world.
Blue skies and tail winds.
A passionate avgeek,
Ishan
Featured image by IndiGo