Ryanair vs IndiGo

Overview

Ryanair is an Irish ultra-low-cost airline headquartered in Swords, County Dublin. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 1984 by Christopher Ryan and Tony Ryan, and began flying on 8 July 1985 between Waterford and London Gatwick. It is the largest airline in Europe by scheduled passengers carried, fleet size and number of flights. The parent company, Ryanair Holdings plc, is listed on Euronext Dublin and Nasdaq. Its airline subsidiaries are Ryanair DAC, Buzz, Malta Air, Lauda Europe and Ryanair UK. Michael O'Leary is group chief executive. Ryanair does not belong to any airline alliance.

Network and hubs

The group serves around 230 airports in 36 countries and operates more than 3,500 short-haul flights a day. Its main bases are Dublin, London Stansted (the largest base) and Milan Bergamo. It also has bases across the UK, Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Morocco and many other countries. Wikipedia lists Berlin as ending on 24 October 2026 and Thessaloniki on 25 October 2026. The network is point-to-point and focuses on Europe, North Africa and nearby regions. There are no long-haul services.

Fleet

As of April 2026, Wikipedia lists a group fleet of 651 aircraft:

• 410 Boeing 737-800
• 210 Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 (197 seats)
• 26 Airbus A320-200, operated by Lauda Europe
• 1 Boeing 737-700, operated by Buzz
• 4 Bombardier Challenger 3500 business jets for engineering and crew transport

There are 150 Boeing 737 MAX 10 on order, with deliveries scheduled from 2027 to 2033. An earlier snapshot from Flightradar24 counted 611 aircraft in February 2026, so totals vary by source and date.

On board

Ryanair operates a single economy cabin. Seat pitch, in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi and meal details were not confirmed in the sources reviewed. Food and drink are generally sold on board rather than included, but check the airline's website for current offerings.

Good to know

• Baggage: since August 2018, passengers must buy Priority Boarding to carry both a large and a small cabin bag, according to Wikipedia. Current bag sizes, weights and checked-bag fees should be checked on ryanair.com before travel.
• Punctuality: Ryanair lost landing slots at Eindhoven in November 2025 after repeated delays, according to Wikipedia. No on-time figure is quoted here because none was verified.
• Lounges and upgrades: none were identified in the sources reviewed.
• Group operators: some flights are operated by Buzz, Malta Air, Lauda Europe or Ryanair UK under the Ryanair brand.

Overview

IndiGo is an Indian low-cost airline. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 2005 by Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal, and began flying on 4 August 2006. It is headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, is listed on the Indian stock exchanges, and is not a member of an airline alliance. It became India's largest carrier by passenger share in December 2012. In March 2026 chief executive Pieter Elbers resigned after the December 2025 scheduling crisis, and Willie Walsh was named as the incoming CEO.

Network and hubs

Delhi is the main hub. Operating bases include Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Wikipedia lists 128 destinations; a mid-2026 analysis cites 141 destinations, including 45 international cities, and more than 2,200 daily flights. IndiGo has codeshare and interline partnerships, including a codeshare with AEGEAN announced in September 2025, with A321XLR flights between India and Greece planned for 2026.

Fleet

As of August 2025, Wikipedia lists 434 aircraft, mostly Airbus A320 family jets plus ATR 72-600 turboprops. IndiGo also wet-leases two Boeing 777s from Turkish Airlines and has wet-leased Boeing 787s from Norse Atlantic. The analysis report cites about 440 aircraft in mid-2026, the first A321XLR delivery in January 2026, and an order for 60 Airbus A350-900s, with deliveries expected from 2027.

On board

• Cabins: mainly economy. IndiGoStretch, a business class product, was introduced in November 2024 on selected flights, with complimentary meals and advance seat selection.
• Meals: economy passengers buy food on board.
• Entertainment: no seatback entertainment in economy. IndiGo announced a streaming tie-up with SonyLIV in 2019.

Good to know

• The loyalty programme is BluChip.
• Paid options include pre-assigned seats, priority check-in and extra baggage allowance. Check the official website for current baggage rules and change fees, as these were not verified for this profile.
• The December 2025 crisis led to the cancellation of thousands of flights, so travellers may wish to check current schedules and disruption policies.