4 days ago
DGCA cuts short Indigo's Turkish aircraft lease pact
India's aviation regulator granted IndiGo only a three-month extension to operate two Turkish Airlines aircraft under a damp lease arrangement, instead of the six it sought, amid close scrutiny of Turkish companies following Ankara's military support to Pakistan during the recent conflict.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced on Friday that it extended the lease of two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft until August 31, but made clear this would be the final extension.
'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,' the DGCA said in a statement, adding that the airline must terminate the arrangement within this period and 'shall not seek any further extension.'
In the aftermath of Turkey's support to Pakistan, India revoked the security clearance of Turkish-founded ground handling firm Celebi Aviation, citing national security concerns, affecting operations at nine major airports. Celebi has sued the government and a decision is pending in the Delhi high court.
IndiGo had requested a six-month extension for the aircraft, which were originally leased until May 31, but regulators granted only half that period. The airline leased these planes in November last year under a damp lease arrangement, where Turkish Airlines provides the aircraft and flight crew while IndiGo supplies cabin crew and handles other operational aspects.
HT reached out to IndiGo for a response but did not get one as of going to print.
Earlier, IndiGo's chief executive spoke on the company's Turkey-related operations, though did not specifically mention the issue of the jets. 'Flights between India and Türkiye are governed within the bilateral air service agreement. We are compliant today and we will continue to comply with any government regulations,' said Pieter Elbers, IndiGo's chief executive officer, speaking ahead of the International Air Transport Association summit in India.
The damp lease arrangement has allowed IndiGo to operate wide-body aircraft for international routes without immediately training its own pilots on the Boeing 777-300ER type.
Elbers separately announced that IndiGo plans to launch direct flights to eight new international destinations within the current financial year, including four to Central Asia. The airline has faced operational constraints due to Pakistan's closure of its airspace to Indian carriers in April, forcing IndiGo to temporarily suspend operations to Tashkent and Almaty due to extended flight times and operational costs.
When asked about operations to Central Asia given the airspace restrictions, Elbers said the airline was evaluating departure cities within India.
