Why IndiGo’s international expansion flight path runs through Kenya, Kazakhstan

On August 2, InterGlobe Aviation Limited—better known as IndiGo —posted its highest-ever quarterly profits. For the first quarter of the year ended March 2024, the low-cost airline raked in revenues of Rs 17,160 crore—a nearly 30% rise, year-on-year—to register a profit of Rs 3,089 crore.

This represents a massive recovery from the pandemic-affected year-ago period when the company clocked losses of Rs 1,056 crore. It also reinforces IndiGo’s status as India’s pre-eminent airline, with IndiGo accounting for 60% of India’s domestic air travel for three months running.

IndiGo, though, isn’t content to just remain the country’s domestic #1. It wants to replicate this success in international flights to and from India. In the year ended March 2023, IndiGo controlled just over 15% of this market. While this makes it the largest Indian aviator in this space, it is a long way from the dominance the airline has grown accustomed to domestically.