By Bl New Delhi
Copyright thehindubusinessline
Airline major IndiGo intends to operate flights to Athens from India in January 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
Besides, the new flight service will make Athens the inaugural destination to be served by the airline’s Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
Accordingly, IndiGo is all set to bring India’s first A321XLR by the end of 2025 and begin six weekly direct flights to Athens by early January 2026.
businessline was the first to report earlier this year that IndiGo is expected to receive its first A321XLR by the end of 2025.
The A321XLR is a next-generation narrow-body aircraft designed for longer ranges.
As per the airline, the new flight service will make IndiGo the only Indian carrier to offer direct flights between India and Greece.
On receipt of the appropriate approvals, IndiGo said it intends to connect Athens to both Delhi and Mumbai, with operations of three frequencies per week on both routes.
These flights to Athens, the airline said, will also offer convenient access to the exotic Greek islands, including Santorini, Mykonos, and Crete, besides other regional European cities.
New connection
Furthermore, the new connection is expected to be an enabler of the growing leisure travel as well as MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and wedding tourism between the two countries.
“This new aviation corridor is a strategic step in IndiGo’s international expansion and aligns perfectly with India’s growing economy and tourism industry. With flight schedules ensuring convenience for travellers, we are confident that this route will further encourage demand for business and leisure travel alike,” said IndiGo Chief Executive Pieter Elbers.
“With this, we also look to connect to more points in Greece, strengthening the connectivity between the two countries.”
In addition to Greece, the A321XLR will allow IndiGo to expand deeper into Europe while maintaining the cost-efficiency of a single-aisle fleet.
The aircraft has a range of up to 8,700 km; consequently, the XLR opens access to destinations previously beyond reach of narrow-body operations, enabling nonstop flights from India to Southern Europe with greater efficiency.
Published on September 15, 2025
