IndiGo has confirmed that it is discussing new regional aircraft with Embraer and ATR, more than a month after reports first revealed negotiations between India’s largest airline and the Brazilian manufacturer.
New CEO Willie Walsh disclosed the talks during the 2026 World Airline Awards in London. He said the aircraft under consideration could complement or replace the ATR 72 turboprops currently used by IndiGo on domestic regional routes.
The confirmation gives new weight to negotiations first reported by Bloomberg in August. At the time, people familiar with the discussions said IndiGo was considering dozens of Embraer E2 jets to replace ATRs and add capacity, but the talks were preliminary and neither IndiGo nor Embraer publicly confirmed them.
The competition is now known to include ATR, which could allow IndiGo to remain with turboprops rather than move some regional routes to larger jets.
44 ATR 72s in current fleet
IndiGo currently has 44 ATR 72-600s, according to Planespotters data. Of these, 36 are in service and eight are parked. The subfleet has an average age of about six years.
The aircraft are configured for 78 passengers and provide IndiGo with a substantially smaller aircraft than the Airbus A320 family that dominates its operation.
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This leaves a large capacity gap in the airline’s fleet. An Embraer E2 could occupy the space between the 78-seat ATR and IndiGo’s A320-family aircraft, with greater capacity, speed and range than the turboprop.
Such an aircraft could also provide more seats on regional routes where demand has outgrown the ATR without requiring IndiGo to deploy an A320.
The airline has not disclosed which Embraer model it is evaluating or how many aircraft it could acquire. The E190-E2 and larger E195-E2 cover different capacity segments, while ATR currently offers the ATR 72-600 as its largest passenger aircraft.
Willie Walsh took over in August
The regional fleet decision is among the issues facing Walsh shortly after he took control of IndiGo.
He became chief executive on August 3, succeeding Pieter Elbers. Walsh had served as director general of the International Air Transport Association since 2021 and left IATA on July 31, only days before joining the Indian carrier.
The Irish executive previously led British Airways and later International Airlines Group, parent company of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.
IndiGo is also preparing for a significant expansion beyond its traditional short- and medium-haul operation. It has 60 Airbus A350-900 widebody jets on firm order and plans to develop New Delhi into a larger international connecting hub.
Embraer seeks breakthrough in India
An IndiGo order would give Embraer its first major E2 customer in India. The manufacturer has pursued the Indian market for years and is also seeking a larger industrial presence in the country.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation validated the E190, E195 and E195-E2 in July 2026, while the E175 had already received approval in the country. The E190-E2 was not included in the latest certification announcement.
Embraer is also working with Adani Defence & Aerospace to establish an E175 final assembly line in India. The smaller jet already has a local operator: Star Air introduced the E175 in 2023 and also operates ERJ-145 regional jets.
