IndiGo Now Flies to Amsterdam on a Plane With 143 Fewer Seats

IndiGo has swapped the aircraft on its nonstop Mumbai–Amsterdam service. Since October 25, the route has been flown by a single-aisle Airbus A321XLR instead of the twin-aisle Boeing 787-9 the airline had been leasing, cutting the seats on each departure from 338 to 195, a drop of about 42 percent.

The change follows the end of IndiGo’s damp-lease arrangement with Norse Atlantic Airways, which expires on October 31. IndiGo began its European long-haul flying in 2025 with six leased 787-9s. Its October schedule update kept the Amsterdam flight daily through the winter 2026 season, after the airline had earlier weighed trimming it to three flights a week.

The cabin is a different proposition. The A321XLR carries 12 IndiGoStretch premium seats and 183 economy seats in a six-abreast layout, compared with 56 premium and 282 economy seats on the 787-9. The aircraft has no installed in-flight entertainment, and its advertised range of 8,700 km sits well below the 787-9’s 14,010 km, though the reported figures reflect the configurations cited rather than a universal layout.

IndiGo has 40 A321XLRs and 60 Airbus A350-900s on order, with A350 deliveries expected to begin in 2028. Until the larger jets arrive, the airline’s planned London Heathrow service remains suspended. For travelers, the practical effect is fewer seats on a popular India–Europe route, which could mean tighter availability and firmer fares when demand peaks.

Sources: Aviation A2Z, IndiGo