IndiGo is in discussions with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to explore extending the wet lease of two Boeing 777 planes from Turkish Airlines, as the current lease agreement is set to expire this week. These wide-body aircraft, which are the airline’s only two in its fleet, are currently used for flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul, catering to the increasing demand for international travel.
IndiGo began operating its first Boeing 777 on the Delhi-Istanbul route in February 2023 and added a second on the Mumbai-Istanbul route in May 2023. Sources say the airline has not yet secured an extension for the lease.
An IndiGo spokesperson confirmed that the airline is “working with the ministry to explore solutions” to extend the wet lease, given that its capacity constraints related to Aircraft on Ground (AOG) issues are improving but not fully resolved.
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IndiGo to replace Boeing 777 with A321
The two leased Boeing 777 aircraft will continue operating until November 14, after which the airline will replace them with A321 aircraft for the Delhi and Mumbai-Istanbul routes. Wet leasing involves leasing foreign aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance, with the foreign operator maintaining operational control and regulatory oversight.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers had previously stated that the addition of the Boeing 777s would help increase capacity on the Istanbul routes and keep fares affordable. The Boeing 777s have a dual-class seating arrangement with 24 business and 376 economy class seats, totaling 400 seats.
IndiGo tackling Pratt & Whitney engine troubles
In addition to dealing with AOG issues, IndiGo has been affected by engine troubles with Pratt & Whitney, grounding several aircraft. However, the airline has reduced the number of grounded planes from the mid-70s to the high 60s, with plans to lower this number further by the end of the year. IndiGo’s fleet now stands at 410 planes as of September.
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To expand its international network, particularly to long-haul destinations, IndiGo placed a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft in May 2024.