DGCA extends IndiGo's Turkish Airlines wet lease, airline asked to end pact in 3 months

IndiGo is operating direct flights to Istanbul with two leased Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines having over 500 seats each

IndiGo's Turkish Airlines wet lease has been extended by three months, less than the six-month extension allowed under current rules by the aviation regulator DGCA on Friday, giving IndiGo a temporary boost in its international expansion plans.

IndiGo is operating direct flights to Istanbul with two leased Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines having over 500 seats each. It also offers codeshare seats to more than 40 points in Europe and the US through the codeshare partnership with the Turkish carrier.

DGCA in a statement said, "IndiGo is currently operating two B777-300ER aircraft under damp lease from Turkish Airline, which was permitted upto 31 May. IndiGo requested for a further extension of the same for another six months, which was not agreed to."

"However, in order to avoid passenger inconvenience due to immediate flight disruption, IndiGo has been granted a one-time last and final extension of three months upto 31.08.2025 for these damp leased aircraft, based on the undertaking from the airline that, they will terminate the damp lease with Turkish Airline within this extension period, and shall not seek any further extension for these operations," DGCA's statement further stated.

Earlier, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Friday said to news agency PTI that it will comply with any government regulations amid the airline operating wet-leased planes of Turkish Airlines coming into focus.

Last week, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the civil aviation ministry was taking inputs from IndiGo and security agencies on the airline's use of planes leased from Turkish Airlines and then will decide on the way forward. "Flights between India and Turkiye are governed within the bilateral air service agreement. We are compliant today and we will continue to comply with any government regulations on those lines," Elbers told PTI Videos.

On May 15, aviation security watchdog BCAS revoked the security clearance for Turkish company Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd in the "interest of national security", days after Turkiye backed Pakistan and condemned India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country.

*With Agency Inputs