IndiGo signs agreement with Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited, to

IndiGo signs agreement with Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited, to commence operations from Durgapur as its 66^th domestic destination

-        Connecting Delhi, Bengaluru, and a southern city to Durgapur w.e.f. April 22, 2021

Continuing its efforts towards strengthening regional connectivity, IndiGo, India’s leading carrier, signed an agreement with Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) to start operations from Durgapur – the 66^th destination in 6E network. The airline will operate its first direct flights from Delhi, Bengaluru, and a southern city to Durgapur from April 22, 2021, with bookings opening from February 13, 2021.

 Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo said, “We are pleased to partner with Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited, to add Durgapur as a new domestic destination in our network. Being one of the largest industrial hubs in the state of West Bengal, daily direct connections between key metro cities and Durgapur will augment economic growth in the city as well as the region. Durgapur also attracts people for its Damodar river and coalfields of Raniganj and increased access to the safest mode of transportation will further augment domestic tourist traffic. IndiGo is committed to providing an affordable, on-time, safe and hassle-free travel experience onboard our lean, clean flying machine”.

As part of the agreement, BAPL will also provide local marketing support to IndiGo through their expertise in the city. Post securing all regulatory approvals and specific flight schedules for Durgapur, IndiGo will soon take the overall number of domestic destinations in the 6E network to 68 by opening Bareilly and Rajkot in the coming months, as part of its plan to expand regional connectivity in the country.

Flight No.

Frequency

Origin

Destination

Effective

Departure

Arrival

Fare (INR)

6E 2552

Daily

Delhi

Durgapur

April 22, 2021

12:55

15:00

4199

6E 2551

Daily

Durgapur

Delhi

April 22, 2021

15:30

17:35

4099

6E 0874

Daily

Bengaluru

Durgapur

April 22, 2021

09:55

12:40

4499

6E 0958

Daily

Durgapur

Bengaluru

April 22, 2021

13:10

15:45

4299

81% travellers confident of flying with IndiGo as per

 81% travellers confident of flying with IndiGo as per a customer survey

  -        65% passengers travelled post-lockdown

-        76% customers gained confidence to travel again after their first travel post lockdown

-        82% passengers aware about Lean Clean Flying Machine

A consumer survey conducted by IndiGo revealed that 81% of the travellers are confident that IndiGo will ensure clean and safe travel for their journey. Factors such as health and wellness of the airline staff (90%), wearing PPE and maintain social distancing by airlines (89%), personal safety kits (87%), and hygiene measures at arrival (75%) are highlighted as important factors by the passengers during air travel. The survey was conducted online in December with 23000 travellers.

Mr. William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, “We are pleased to see that we have gained customer confidence over the last six months on the back of our safety measures and customer initiatives. There has been a 16-point rise in passenger confidence in IndiGo from 65% in June to 81% in December 2020. The report also showcases an increase in awareness for our safety measures from 55% in June to 82% in December. Air travel being the safest mode of travel, coupled with IndiGo’s clean and safe travel experience, 76% customers gained confidence to travel again post lockdown. We will continue to introduce new measures, products and services to further strengthen customer confidence in air travel and IndiGo. Our aim is to consistently provide a safe and hassle-free experience on-board a lean, clean flying machine”
                                                                                                                                                                      SURVEY FINDINGS:

Opening-up to travel

• 65% passengers travelled post-lockdown
• 76% of customers gained confidence to travel again after their first travel post lockdown
• 69% of the customers plan to travel again in next 3 months (up from 54%in June)

Safety is a key priority while travelling

• Air transport is considered the safest form of travel by a wide margin for inter-city travel (55% of respondents felt air travel is safe vs. 8% for rail travel), followed by driving (37%)
• 90% customers prioritize health and wellness of the airline staff, while 89% of them feel that wearing PPE and maintaining social distancing by airlines need to be in place. Personal safety kits and hygiene measures at arrival are next on priority with about 87% and 85% customers demanding the same, respectively. Sanitation and safety protocols by the airlines and contact-less travel experience remained the last priority with 85% customers considering it important
• Passengers who haven’t travelled yet, were concerned due to post travel quarantine measures by various states (30%), fellow passengers not maintaining social distancing (24%), quality of air circulation in the aircraft (14%) and less flight options (13%)
• For their next travel, the key drivers for customers to choose IndiGo will be - safety measures and precautions being taken by IndiGo (41%) followed by deals and discounts (24%), flight availability and options (23%) and new product and service (6%)
• 81% of the passengers are confident that IndiGo will keep them safe while travelling in terms of health and safety
• 82% of passengers are aware about Lean Clean Flying Machine

 Travel Trends

• 47% of the respondents have expressed to travel solo in future, followed by 43% with family
• Customers who have travelled recently would prefer to travel to metro cities (54%) next time, followed by Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities (38%) and international destinations (7%)
• Those who haven’t travelled recently showed higher preference for international destinations while travelling next time (12%)
• Customers who have travelled recently shared a higher propensity to travel for visiting family or hometown (49% v/s 40%) and business travel (31% v/s 26%) than those who hadn’t travelled recently
• 

• Customers who haven’t travelled recently were more inclined towards leisure travel (15% v/s 6%), work vacation (8% v/s 6%) and meeting friends (4% v/s 2%) than those who have travelled recently

• Overall, VFR (46%) and business (29%) will be the key reasons to travel, followed by leisure (9%) and work vacation (7%)
  

Visiting family or hometown		Business/Work		Leisure		Work vacation		Meeting friends		Emergency travel
46%		29%		9%		6%		3%		2%