AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: The All India Football Federation announced IndiGo as its global partner and the official airline for the Indian Football Team, on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Football is among the most popular sports in India, and IndiGo is the airline with the highest market share in the country, making this partnership even more significant, with a collective endeavour to unite fans and nurture the sport's growth.

AIFF President Mr Kalyan Chaubey said, "It is indeed a pleasure for the All India Football Federation to partner with IndiGo. During my travels with IndiGo, I was impressed with the service and professionalism of the airline. Being the country's largest airline, we consider this as IndiGo’s first sports partnership. We are really honoured and happy.

"With a population of 1.4 billion India, is the fifth-largest economy in the world. People say it's a cricket nation, but I often say it's a cricket-watching and a football-playing nation. It’s a mass sport, as every kid, you will find, is playing football. With this young population and this growing economy, we have partnered with IndiGo who can show leadership in the Indian airline market as well as in sports, where leaders from both organisations have also come up with a similar vision. I would request IndiGo to support us in every possible way and take this partnership and football forward together,” Mr Chaubey added.

As the official airline for the Indian Football Team, IndiGo's network is meticulously designed to cater to the diverse travel requirements of players, officials, and support staff. From domestic tournaments to international matches, IndiGo's comprehensive route map will ensure seamless and efficient journeys, allowing the team to focus solely on their game, unburdened by travel concerns.

In IndiGo, the AIFF finds a reliable and supportive travel partner who shares their passion for the sport. IndiGo is equally excited to support the Indian women's football team as well, contributing to the empowerment of women in sports. This partnership empowers the Indian national teams to represent the nation with pride and excellence on the global stage, reinforcing the common bond they share with millions of fans. IndiGo, with its primary colour being blue, will be the carrier of the Blue Tigers and Blue Tigresses, flying them to new heights and across new frontiers.

AIFF Secretary General Dr Shaji Prabhakaran said, “It’s a historic day for Indian football. The airline IndiGo is flying high, and I'm sure with this partnership, we will only fly high. We wish you will always be the market leader. We believe it's a great occasion that has never been seen in Indian football history. We never had a collaboration with any airline before; that is truly historic.

"I'm sure that this partnership will take Indian football to greater heights and we will work together to take football to a level whereby the world will look at us as we are flying very high with our collaboration. We will be there – be blue, and the Blue Tigers will take us to the skies and paint blue across and we will make India proud with this partnership. The vision is very clear: we want to be in the incredible state of sport in India, get the attention of the world, and be the biggest talent hub in the world. Maybe one day, we will be exporting in big numbers, and we will use your airline to export those talents as we fly high,” Dr Prabhakaran added.

IndiGo CEO Mr Pieters Elbers said, “We are thrilled to embark on this journey with the All India Football Federation, as both organizations share a common vision of advancing Indian football to new heights. This marks the start of an official partnership for AIFF, while for IndiGo, it represents our inaugural foray into the world of sports. Together, we are committed to a long-term collaboration that will not only elevate the sport but also touch the lives of fans across the nation. We aim to provide the Indian Football Team with IndiGo's well-established strengths: on-time performance, hassle-free service at affordable fares across our unparalleled network both domestically and internationally."

The partnership between the AIFF and IndiGo is set to span one year, commencing from September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024.