DGCA gives 'last & final' 3-month extension to IndiGo for 2 Boeing 777s wet leased from Turkish Airlines

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA ) has given “one time last and final three-month extension” to IndiGo for the two wide body Boeing 777s it has wet leased (hired with operating crew) from Turkish Airlines . The airline can use them till Aug 31, instead of Nov 30, 2025, as it had applied for. The DGCA gave this final extension “in order to avoid passenger inconvenience due to immediate flight disruption” after getting an “undertaking from the airline that they will terminate the damp lease with Turkish Airline within this extension period, and not seek any further extension for these operations,” said a senior aviation official.

“Indigo is currently operating two Boeing 777-300 extended range aircraft under damp lease from Turkish Airline, which was permitted upto May 31, 2025. 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,” said the official.

Turkey’s steadfast supported to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, apart from Pakistan using Turkish drones to attack Indian cities near the western border, has led to a rethink in New Delhi. India had a fortnight back revoked the security clearance of Turkish ground handling company Celebi which led it from being barred at the nine Indiana airports where it used to operate. DGCA’s Friday ruling comes in that backdrop.

IndiGo had requested Indian aviation authorities to extend the lease period by another six months for two Turkish Airlines’ wide body Boeing 777 which the budget carrier uses on routes between Delhi/Mumbai and Istanbul. IndiGo has since early 2023 used these wet leased (hired with operating crew) Turkish planes to operate a daily direct between Delhi & Istanbul and Mumbai & Istanbul. Turkish has the same two daily routes, with no more room for any more flights between the two countries under current bilaterals that Turkey has unsuccessfully tried with the Modi govt to be revised upwards for some years now.

IndiGo since 2018 has a code share with Turkish. A significant number of passengers on Turkish and IndiGo flights fly between India and rest of the world via Istanbul on Turkish network — something that hurts Air India’s multi billion dollar plan for providing direct connectivity to & from India. In the past, AI has frowned at the long term wet lease of wide body aircraft done by IndiGo.

On the Turkish wet lease issue, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said Friday: “We operate under the ambit of the air service agreement between India and Turkey. A large number of passengers, mostly Indians, are booked on these flights (to & from Istanbul) to travel between India and other countries (via Istanbul). The (wet lease) is as per regulatory approvals and we will be in conformity with those requirements.”