Expansion
IndiGo Lifts Premium Seat Capacity 32.4% to 5.63 Lakh as Air India Express Cuts 18.3%
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- IndiGo's premium seat capacity rose 32.4% year on year to 5.63 lakh in Winter Schedule 2026, an addition of 1.38 lakh seats.
- Air India remained the largest premium seat operator at 8.46 lakh seats, though its capacity fell 2.6%.
- Air India Express cut domestic premium capacity 22% to 1.80 lakh seats while raising international premium capacity 51.7% to 18,616.
IndiGo raised its premium seat capacity 32.4% year on year to 5.63 lakh in Winter Schedule 2026, an addition of 1.38 lakh seats, the largest increase among Indian airlines. NDTV Profit reported the figure from OAG data shared with the outlet.
IndiGo's 1.38 Lakh Premium Seat Addition
IndiGo's domestic operations carried most of the increase, adding 1.35 lakh premium seats for a 37.3% rise to 4.97 lakh from 3.62 lakh. International premium capacity grew 4.5%, or 2,803 seats, to 65,712 from 62,909.
Industry sources told NDTV Profit that premiumisation is the next stage of growth for IndiGo, while its core business stays on a narrow-body, all-economy model. The sources said the airline is seeing good traction for its domestic premium offering and on international routes, and expects a targeted approach on domestic and short-haul international routes concentrated on markets with strong corporate and premium demand.
Air India remained the country's largest premium seat operator even as its capacity fell 2.6% to 8.46 lakh from 8.69 lakh. Domestic premium capacity dropped 3.1%, a reduction of 20,677 seats, to 6.39 lakh, and international capacity slipped 0.8%, or 1,661 seats, to 2.07 lakh.
Air India Express cut overall premium capacity 18.3% to 1.99 lakh from 2.43 lakh. The reduction was concentrated at home, where domestic premium capacity fell 22%, or 50,940 seats, to 1.80 lakh, while international capacity rose 51.7%, adding 6,348 seats to reach 18,616.
IndiGo's Fleet and Funding Records
IndiGo flies more than 2,000 daily flights to over 80 domestic and 30 international destinations, according to akta.pro company records. The same records list a $328 million post-IPO debt round in October 2026 led by Citi and a $1.4 billion post-IPO secondary in May 2025.
Earlier IndiGo Premium and Fleet Moves
On November 9, 2026, Construction World reported that IndiGo is developing premium products and reviewing its fuel hedging policy ahead of international expansion, with 60 A350s on order and the first delivery in Q2 2028. On November 4, 2026, Devdiscourse reported that IndiGo is in early-stage talks to buy 100 regional jets from Embraer, with options for about 50 more and deliveries likely from or after 2030.
IndiGo's A350 Delivery Timeline
The first A350 delivery is scheduled for Q2 2028, according to Construction World's November 9, 2026 report.