IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International) will launch a new Delhi International-Istanbul Atatürk service, its maiden intercontinental route, on March 20 2019.

The Indian LCC said that flights will operate daily onboard A321-200neo aircraft.

"Istanbul holds immense potential for IndiGo, and this launch is part of organic expansion within Europe for us, as we complement our domestic network with international connectivity," Chief Commercial Officer William Boulter said in a statement.

While no Indian carriers currently serve Istanbul, Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) operates daily passenger flights from its main gateway to Delhi and Mumbai International using B777-300(ER) equipment for both routes.

IndiGo, the largest carrier in India by capacity, currently operates predominantly domestically with just 8.3% of its capacity deployed on international routes, the ch-aviation capacity module shows. It currently serves 15 destinations outside India, predominantly in the Gulf region with Dubai International and Doha Hamad International being the two leading international destinations for the carrier.

The LCC currently operates just one A321neo but has a further 149 units of the type on order with Airbus. It also operates 129 A320-200s, sixty-eight A320-200neo, and fourteen ATR72-600s.