Indigo to begin 6 weekly direct flights to Athens by early Jan 2026 using Airbus A321 XLR aircraft

Mumbai, Sep 15 (PTI) Domestic carrier IndiGo on Monday said it will deploy its maiden Airbus A321 XLR aircraft, which is scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year, on its Athens, Greece route from January next year.

The Gurugram-based airline had earlier this year announced that it would launch its flight services to 10 international destinations this financial year.

IndiGo is all set to bring home India's first A321XLR by the end of 2025, and begin six weekly direct flights to Athens by early January 2026, subject to regulatory approval, the airline said in a statement.

This will make IndiGo the only Indian carrier to offer direct flights between India and Greece, it said, adding that on the receipt of the appropriate approvals, the airline intends to connect Athens to both Delhi and Mumbai, with operations of three weekly nonstops on both routes.

The next-generation narrow-body A321 XLR is designed for longer ranges, allowing IndiGo to expand deeper into Europe, while maintaining the cost-efficiency of a single-aisle fleet, as per the statement.

The aircraft will have a two-class configuration -- economy and business (IndiGoStretch).

With a range of up to 8,700 km, the XLR opens access to destinations previously beyond the reach of narrow-body operations, enabling non-stop flights from India to Southern Europe with greater efficiency, IndiGo said.

"IndiGo is the only Indian airline, currently, to announce direct flights between India and Greece. This new aviation corridor is a strategic step in IndiGo's international expansion and aligns perfectly with India's growing economy and tourism industry," said Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo.

With flight schedules ensuring convenience for travellers, the airline is confident that this route will further encourage demand for business and leisure travel alike, he said, adding that with this, IndiGo also looks to connect to more points in Greece, strengthening the connectivity between the two countries.

These flights to Athens will also offer convenient access to the exotic Greek islands, including Santorini, Mykonos, and Crete, besides other regional European cities, while also further strengthening IndiGo's footprint in Europe, the airline said.

The launch of Athens as IndiGo's first XLR destination comes at a time when the India-Europe aviation market is growing, driven by both business and leisure demand, it said.

IndIGo operates around 2200+ daily flights, connecting 90+ domestic and 40+ international destinations.

The airline had a fleet of 400 aircraft, with 349 in operation and 51 grounded as on September 14, 2025, as per the aircraft fleet tracking website, Planespotter.com. PTI IAS RAM DRR