NEW DELHI: Budget carrier IndiGo will start direct flights to 6 new destinations in Africa and Central Asia, including to Nairobi, Tbilisi and Tashkent, this year. "Delhi will get connected in August to Tbilisi, Georgia and  Baku, Azerbaijan and in September to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Almaty, Kazakhstan.  Embarking on massive international expansion plans, Iindigowill connect Nairobi in Kenya and Jakarta in Indonesia, with direct flights from Mumbai in late July or early August" IndiGo said in a release on Friday.

IndiGo announced that between June and September 2023, it will be introducing a "amazing 174 new weekly international flights, including new destinations, routes, and frequencies," calling it a "major stride in its international expansion strategy. The low-cost carrier will connect 32 worldwide locations once these routes are operational, up from its current 26.

In August, IndiGo stated it will also resume daily service between Delhi and Hong Kong. During the coronavirus pandemic three years ago, this flight was cancelled.

"With the first forays into Africa and Central Asia, the addition of these exciting new destinations, new direct flight routes, increased aircraft frequencies, and strategic codeshare alliances will help us expand our footprint over four continents.

In addition to our 78 domestic destinations, we will now immediately reach 32 overseas destinations (up from 26), according to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers.

Towards New Heights and Across New Frontiers, the airline's plan, is being carried out, he added, and it is prepared to create unmatched links between people and places.

The development coincides with the government's initiatives to establish India as a global aviation centre as well as a period of increasing demand for international travel to, through, and from India. In addition, the Air India Group is planning an ambitious expansion of its aircraft and services to offer connections to more foreign locations.

Through its codeshare agreements with Turkish Airlines, IndiGo is improving its access to Europe. It currently provides connectivity via Istanbul to 33 locations in Europe. As per official statement, IndiGo "will soon be offering connectivity to North America as part of the codeshare partnership with Turkish Airlines," pending final regulatory permissions.

With a domestic market share of more than 57% and a fleet of more than 300 aircraft, IndiGo is the largest airline in the nation, flying more than 1,800 times every day.

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