SpiceJet (SG, Delhi International) is "likely" to launch its maiden long-haul services to Europe in the Summer 2019 season, Moneycontrol has reported citing an inside source.
The Indian LCC would initially operate to London Gatwick from Delhi International and to London Heathrow from Amritsar using leased A330 equipment. The source did not specify whether the carrier would be looking at wet- or dry-leasing Airbus widebodies.
The services from Amritsar are likely to commence at the end of March, with the onset of the Summer 2019 season, while the flights from Delhi could then launch in May.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, SpiceJet currently operates exclusively turboprop and narrowbody fleet consisting of three B737-700s, twenty-seven B737-800s, four B737-900(ER)s, ten B737-8s, and twenty-seven Dash 8-400s. It also operates a single B737-700(F) freighter.
Currently, less than 9% of all services operated by SpiceJet are international. The carrier operates 312 weekly scheduled international flights, predominantly to Dubai International and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi.
The LCC has been flirting with the idea of launching long-haul flights and adding widebody equipment for some time now, although in mid-2018 it deferred these plans due to the weakening rupee and rising oil prices. It had previously studied A350-1000s and B787-10s for these plans.
Currently, the Delhi-London market is operated 43x weekly by Air India (AI, Delhi International), while no airline offers direct services between Amritsar, a holy Sikh city, and the capital of the United Kingdom.
