India
IndiGo plans 16 lie-flat seats on A350s
The Hindu·
IndiGo will fit 16 lie-flat business-class beds on its first Airbus A350s, CEO William Walsh said. The first A350 is due in the second quarter of 2028 from an order of 60. The airline locked the layout for the first 10 aircraft and may raise flatbed counts later. Walsh said future A321XLR jets will also carry flatbeds for longer routes.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Long-haul IndiGo travellers are being promised full flatbeds rather than the Stretch recline product.
- Stretch seats, launched in November 2024, offer a 12 cm recline on some trunk and international routes.
- Widebody Boeing 787 operations on European routes have been suspended since November 1.
What's Happening
- Walsh said flatbeds are what customers expect on longer-haul international flights.
- IndiGo has taken delivery of 4 A321XLRs so far and plans three more next year.
- The A350 cabin will also include premium economy and economy sections.
Shift from Stretch
- Former CEO Pieter Elbers introduced Stretch as a custom business-class seat with a partial partition.
- Walsh said Stretch still performs well domestically and on some international flights.
- Configuration is fixed for the first 10 of 60 A350s on order.
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