‍MUMBAI — India's largest airline, IndiGo (6E), has started operating its brand-new Airbus A321XLR to Athens (ATH) from Mumbai (BOM). The route, initially announced in September 2025, is planned to operate three times a week. This launch makes 6E the first airline to directly connect both cities and the countries. 

The aircraft was officially handed over to the airline at the end of 2025 and was welcomed into the fleet in early January 2026. 6E aims to induct a total of 40 XLRs, where nine aircraft are scheduled for delivery this year.

Prior to flying long-haul routes, 6E flew the aircraft between BOM and New Delhi (DEL) for crew familiarization. In addition to the BOM-ATH service, the airline has also commenced flights between New Delhi (DEL) and Athens from January 24, operating three times a week. 

For now, both routes are operated using a single aircraft, registered as VT-NLA, following the rotation: BOM-ATH-DEL-ATH-BOM.

Athens is a major destination for Indian travellers seeking leisure holidays, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) activities, and wedding tourism. The airline is in talks with both governments to ensure a smooth, speedy visa process for Indian national passengers. 

Aegean Airlines (A3), the flag carrier of Greece, has also responded by announcing a new schedule connecting DEL and ATH, starting in March 2026, with their brand-new XLRs. 

On Board the XLR

The Airbus A321XLR is widely known for its unmatched range and fuel efficiency, though actual performance is influenced by payload. The Airbus data shows that the maximum range achievable with a full fuel load is 4700nm. However, as the payload increases, the range is reduced accordingly.

IndiGo’s A321XLR cabin is configured with 12 seats in the IndiGo Stretch (business class) and 183 seats in economy class. The Stretch cabin features a 2-2 layout equipped with Recaro R2 seats.

Unlike the Stretch cabins on 6E's Airbus A321neo, the seats include leg rests, USB and power ports, reading lights, privacy walls, and an iPad/tablet holder. This aircraft also marks a first for the airline with the introduction of onboard ovens to heat meals for passengers.

The economy cabin is configured in a 3-3 layout, offering additional seat width and pitch. All the economy seats are equipped with power/ USB ports, unlike the other aircraft in the fleet. Passengers can also stream movies/ TV shows through the 6E mobile app, provided by BlueBox. 

As the airline receives more XLRs, 6E plans to deploy them to Istanbul (IST) and Denpasar (DPS). Currently, IndiGo serves Istanbul using a wet-leased Boeing 777 from Turkish Airlines. One potential route for the A321XLR is the existing DEL-DPS or BOM-DPS service, which presently requires a technical stop at Bhubaneswar (BBI) and Chennai (MAA), respectively.

Codeshare Partnership With A3 Goes Live

Indigo has expanded connectivity across Europe through a codeshare partnership with A3. Under this agreement, A3 will provide onward connections for 6E passengers to domestic and other European destinations, while A3 customers will gain access to the 6E network across India and South Asia. 

IndiGo places its 6E code on European destinations such as Thessaloniki (SKG), Heraklion (HER), Malaga (AGP), Barcelona (BCN), Madrid (MAD), Palma de Mallorca (PMI), Valencia (VAL), Milan (MXP), Rome (FCO), Malta (MLA), and Sofia (SOF), which are operated by A3.