IndiGo 787 flights unlock new cargo potential to European markets

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, marked another milestone in its long-haul expansion by launching a direct flight service between Mumbai and Manchester on July 1, 2025.

The thrice-weekly flight between the two cities is scheduled to depart Mumbai at 04:25 hrs, currently operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered as LN-FNC, which IndiGo has wet-leased from Norwegian low-cost, long-haul carrier Norse Atlantic Airways. It is scheduled to arrive in Manchester at 10:05 hrs local time. The return flight is scheduled to depart Manchester at 12:05 hrs and arrive in Mumbai at 01:55 hrs the following day.

In addition to this Boeing 787-9, the carrier already has five aircraft on wet lease from Norse. The remaining aircraft are expected to arrive by the first half of 2026.

Notably, in addition to the Mumbai–Manchester route, the carrier also launched operations between Mumbai and Amsterdam on July 2, with a thrice-weekly service using the same Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

IndiGo began operating the Delhi–Bangkok route with the Boeing 787-9 earlier this year. However, the B787 is now deployed exclusively on the Manchester and Amsterdam routes, while the Delhi–Bangkok service is currently operated by the Airbus A321neo.

The current cabin layout on IndiGo’s Boeing 787-9 features a two-class configuration, comprising 56 IndiGoStretch seats and 282 Economy seats. All seats are equipped with seatback screens for in-flight entertainment.

What’s in the belly of IndiGo’s Dreamliner?

Although the carrier has a dedicated cargo division under the IndiGo CarGo brand, operating three Airbus A321-200 converted freighters with a fourth on order, the Dreamliners will also complement its cargo operations by offering substantial bellyhold capacity.

The airline's sources said that the aircraft can carry up to 11.5 tonnes of cargo when fully loaded. The carrier has chosen dnata for ground handling services at Manchester Airport.

The Boeing 787‑9 can carry up to 36 ULD containers or 11 pallets across its forward (FWD) and aft (AFT) cargo compartments, 20 containers and 6 pallets in the FWD hold, and 16 containers and 5 pallets in the AFT hold.

IndiGo’s new thrice‑weekly Boeing 787‑9 services on both the Mumbai–Manchester and Mumbai–Amsterdam routes will each offer approximately 34.5 tonnes of belly‑cargo capacity on the outbound leg every week.

The belly space on these routes can be utilised to transport a wide range of goods between India and Europe, including both consumer and industrial products. Common shipments include textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, machinery parts, and perishables such as seafood and fresh produce.

IndiGo already has 60 Airbus A350-900s on order, which are set to join its fleet from 2027 onwards. These aircraft will offer a bellyhold cargo capacity of approximately 18 tonnes.

Additionally, the first Airbus A321XLR is expected to join the carrier’s fleet this year, bearing manufacturer serial number (MSN) 12622. The airline plans to deploy the aircraft on a route connecting India and Athens (Greece), as mentioned by Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo, during the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting 2025 in Delhi.

IndiGo already has a fleet of over 400 aircraft, primarily consisting of the narrowbody A320 family. Additionally, it also operates two wet-leased Boeing 777-300ERs from Turkish Airlines.

In February this year, Liesbeth Oudkerk, former Senior Vice President of Cargo Sales and Network Planning at Qatar Airways Cargo, took on a new role as Regional Head of Europe at IndiGo. Around the same time, IndiGo’s then Chief Commercial Officer, Cargo, Mark Sutch, also assumed additional responsibilities within the airline. He was later promoted to Head of International Development and CCO Cargo.