India’s two biggest airlines are looking at the same long-haul opportunity, but they have very different ideas about how to get there.
At his first media briefing as IndiGo CEO, Willie Walsh may have been more politically correct than the industry is used to seeing him. But he was pretty clear about the fact that IndiGo isn’t going to sacrifice its low-cost DNA to make its long-haul ambitions work. It wants to go global, but not at the expense of the short-haul business that made it India’s biggest airline.
Air India CEO Tewolde Gebremariam, meanwhile, is thinking bigger in terms of widebody capacity. He wants more aircraft, stronger hubs and a bigger share of the international traffic that Indian airlines have long left to foreign carriers. For Air India, long-haul is a big part of its transformation into a premium global airline.
And there’s plenty of traffic to go after. India handled 78 million international passengers last year, almost matching Heathrow's 79 million. But turning that opportunity into a profitable business is another matter. Air India has to get its costs under control, while IndiGo has to make sure its global ambitions don’t come at the expense of its core business.
Both airlines clearly see India’s long-haul moment coming. The question is whether they can finally get more of those passengers flying on Indian carriers, rather than handing them over to foreign airlines.
Skift Global Forum
Airlines are being reordered from the outside, by the platforms, agents, and AI now rewriting how trips get discovered and booked.
This September in New York, Corneel Koster (CEO, Virgin Atlantic), Mark Galardo (Air Canada), and Delta's Scott Jordan take the stage alongside the CEOs of Booking Holdings, Expedia, and Uber, in the room where airline strategy meets the forces reshaping distribution.
SHEERID + SKIFT
A direct booking does not always create a direct relationship. See how verified identity can help airlines build more lasting loyalty.
Headlines
MakeMyTrip Buys Into Daily Commutes With Quick Ride Stake
by Peden Doma Bhutia
November 6, 2026
Adani Expects ‘One or Two’ Foreign Airlines to Pause Mumbai Flights Rather Than Move Airports
by Peden Doma Bhutia
November 2, 2026
Willie Walsh Wants IndiGo to Go Long-Haul Without Losing Its Low-Cost Core
by Peden Doma Bhutia
November 2, 2026
Watch or Listen
The airline industry is navigating its most unpredictable period since the pandemic, with fuel prices, geopolitical tensions, premium travel demand, and aircraft shortages reshaping the competitive landscape. Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat break down the data behind the headlines, explaining why airlines remain profitable despite rising costs and unprecedented volatility.
