Historic first: IndiGo connects India & Greece

Domestic carrier IndiGo announced on Monday that it will deploy its maiden Airbus A321 XLR aircraft, scheduled for delivery by the end of 2025, on its Athens, Greece route from January 2026. The Gurugram-based airline had earlier this year announced plans to launch flight services to 10 international destinations during the current financial year.

Subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo plans to operate six weekly direct flights to Athens, making it the only Indian carrier to offer non-stop services between India and Greece. The airline intends to connect Athens to both Delhi and Mumbai, operating three weekly non-stop flights on each route once approvals are in place.

The A321 XLR, a next-generation narrow-body aircraft, is designed for longer ranges, allowing the airline to expand deeper into Europe while maintaining the cost efficiency of a single-aisle fleet. The aircraft will feature a two-class configuration, including economy and business seats under the IndiGoStretch branding, and has a range of up to 8,700 km, enabling non-stop operations from India to Southern Europe.

Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer of 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.” He added that the flight schedules are designed to ensure convenience for travellers, boosting both business and leisure travel demand, and that IndiGo plans to connect to additional points in Greece in the future.

Flights to Athens will provide access to popular Greek islands such as Santorini, Mykonos, and Crete, along with other regional European cities, strengthening IndiGo’s footprint in Europe. The launch of Athens as the airline’s first XLR destination coincides with growing demand in the India-Europe aviation market, driven by both business and leisure travel.

As of September 14, 2025, IndiGo operates around 2,200 daily flights, connecting over 90 domestic and 40 international destinations. The airline’s fleet consists of 400 aircraft, of which 349 are in operation and 51 are grounded, according to aircraft fleet tracking website Planespotter.com.

With this deployment, IndiGo aims to expand its long-haul capabilities while enhancing India-Europe connectivity, positioning Athens as a key destination in its international network.