IndiGo to Bring Grounded Jets Back in Sky by 2026, Likely to Reduce Airfare

IndiGo is likely to bring the majority of its presently grounded aircraft back into the fleet in the first half of 2026. The move will increase the low-cost carrier’s active fleet count by nearly 80 planes in the financial year 2026, twice the average 40 aircraft it adds each year.  

The increase in aircraft might help in reducing the airfares, which have remained high due to aircraft shortages driven by disruption of the global supply chain. But the reduction in airfare is likely to be marginal, the Economic Times reported, citing industry executives. 

The airline’s carrier increased from 382 in the first quarter of the financial year 2025 to 434 in Q4 FY25. 

Commenting on the state of the grounded airplane, IndiGo’s chief financial officer, Gaurav Negi, in a post-earnings call, said aircraft will be back in the fleet by early 2026. 

“It is expected that all aircraft will be out of grounding by the end of this year or early next year,” said Negi.

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IndiGo’s trouble of grounding aircraft began in December 2023 after technical issues with Pratt & Whitney engines surfaced. A defect in powder metal used to make the engine was detected that could lead to the breaking of components. This together with delayed deliveries of aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, has slowed IndiGo’s global expansion dream. 

“For the time being, the key driver is to deal with the supply chain challenges,” IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers had said in Q3 FY25 post-earnings call. 

IndiGo’s parent company, InterGlobe Aviation, posted its Q4 FY25 results on May 21. The company’s profit after tax in Q4 increased 62% to Rs 3,067.5 crore from Rs 1,894.8 crore in Q4 of the previous financial year. In the same quarter, its capacity increased 21% to 42.1 billion and the number of passengers carried surged 19.6% to 31.9 million, driven mainly by strong air travel demand.