The Indian Airline on a $10 Billion Pandemic Shopping Spree

The airlines have seen more than their share of casualties during the pandemic, as travel stopped and carriers’ finances nose-dived. That’s forced many survivors to concentrate on cutting costs, trimming payrolls, and walking away from aircraft orders, but IndiGo, the airline operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., is doing something few of its peers would risk right now: going shopping.

Since taking to the skies in 2006, no-frills IndiGo has grown to control more than half of all local traffic in India, consistently making money in the process. It’s betting it can bounce back stronger once the virus is tamed and ordering billions of dollars of equipment to be delivered after the current crisis.