Indian airline IndiGo said on Sunday it had signed an order for 30 more Airbus A350-900s, bringing its shopping list for the widebody aircraft from the European aircraft manufacturer to 60.
鈥榃e are placing a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900s,鈥� said Pieter Elbers, the CEO of IndiGo, which was founded in 2006 and is behind the largest contract by volume in the history of civil aviation -- 500 Airbus single-aisle aircraft by 2023.
The low-cost carrier, India鈥檚 biggest by market share, is positioning itself as a significant player in the long-haul market.
鈥楾his strategic move will enable IndiGo to spread its wings further and expand its long-haul international network,鈥� the company said in a statement.
Benoit de Saint-Exupery, Airbus commercial aircraft vice-president of sales, hailed 鈥業ndiGo鈥檚 incredible rise鈥�.
The A350 planes, with ranges of up to 15,000 kilometres (9,300 miles), will allow it to expand its network further.
Overall, IndiGo has placed orders for around 1,000 aircraft from the A320 family, Airbus鈥檚 most successful model and rival of the Boeing 737 MAX, which has endured multiple setbacks after a series of safety scares.