The Indian budget airline wants to reduce the time its jets spend on the ground. In addition, Indigo now allows passengers to disembark on the right side of the aircraft.
As many seats as possible per plane, a one-size-fits-all fleet, no-frills and luxurious cabins – all of this contributes to the fact that low-cost airlines can be cheap. But something else is at least as important for making money: The jets are allowed to spend as little time as possible on the ground. This applies even more to low-cost providers than to other airlines.
The key to this is short turnaround times. After it has landed and reached its parking position, the aircraft must leave it again as quickly as possible and take off again. In the meantime, it will be unloaded, cleaned, loaded and more.
Three to five minutes time saving
The Indian low-cost airline Indigo is now preparing to speed up the disembarkation of travelers. To do this, it uses a special measure: it no longer only lets passengers disembark via a flight of stairs at the front and one at the back on the left side of the plane. Indigo puts another set of stairs at the front right of the aircraft – at the door, which is used shortly afterwards, for example, to invite the catering.
Indigo claims to be the first airline in the world to do so. The aim is to increase operational efficiency and become even more punctual, according to the airline. According to their own statements, their average turnaround time is currently 30 to 35 minutes. The new exit process should save three to five minutes.
Start in Delhi, Mumbai und Bengaluru
Three-door boarding will be introduced on the airline’s Airbus A320 and A321, which together with ATR 72 make up the fleet. The transition will start at the outer parking positions of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru airports. Thereafter, a gradual expansion is planned, with the goal that eventually 70 percent of the Indigo turnarounds in India work in this way.
Also Ryanair is already brooding over the eye of the needle door. Ten years ago, the low-cost airline planned to build a prototype with a larger entrance area together with the Chinese manufacturer Comac. You want two people to come through a door at the same time, according to Ryanair. Nothing came of it.