By Sam Boughedda
Budget airline IndiGo (NS:INGL) is in discussions with Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Airbus (EPA:AIR), its current supplier, to order over 500 passenger jets, according to Reuters on Friday.
If true, the Indian carrier could smash an industry record set by domestic rival Air India just a few weeks ago, Reuters said, citing industry sources.
IndiGo has exclusively purchased Airbus narrow-body jets, and last month, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the company was close to ordering several hundred planes from the European planemaker.
However, Reuters said sources told them that negotiations to renew the budget carrier's fleet from the end of the decade have widened to contain mid-sized wide-body jets, resulting in a contest between Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A330neo.
In addition, IndiGo, which has a 55% share of its domestic market, is said to be comparing Airbus' A320neo with the Boeing 737 MAX as it looks at a significant new order for narrow-body jets.
Reuters revealed an IndiGo representative told them that they are constantly in talks with manufacturers as it plans its next phase of growth, but it hasn't finalized anything till now. The publication added that IndiGo is expected to keep Airbus as its narrow-body jets supplier.