DGCA allows IndiGo to fly Boeing 777s wet-leased from Turkish Airlines for 3 more months
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Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended IndiGo’s wet lease agreement with Turkish Airlines for two Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft by three months.
The move allows IndiGo to operate flights to Istanbul from Delhi and Mumbai beyond May 31, the date on which the wet lease agreement of these aircraft was ending earlier.
IndiGo had requested a further extension of the same for another six months, which was not agreed to by the aviation regulator.
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 for these damp leased aircraft, based on the undertaking from the airline that, they will terminate the damp lease with Turkish Airlines within this extension period, an official at DGCA said Friday.
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IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers last week said that “lots and lots of Indian customers” are booked on the airline’s flights to Istanbul which serves as a base for air passengers travelling to other parts of the world with IndiGo’s codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines.
“We have a codeshare with Turkish where we fly to a certain point and beyond that the customer flies with some other carrier,” Elbers said during the analyst call after IndiGo announced its fourth-quarter earnings.
“The flights between India and Turkey are within the framework of the air service agreement between the two nations. The operations are fully compliant and in line not only with the regulatory framework but also with the rules and regulations from the government,” Elbers. “We still have lots and lots of Indian customers booked on these flights mostly connecting over Istanbul and flying to other parts of the world for their travel needs,” he explained.
IndiGo currently operates two nonstop flights to Istanbul from Delhi and Mumbai. Both these flights use damp-leased Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines.
India's ties with Turkey have strained following the India-Pakistan conflict. Several travel platforms have called for a boycott of Turkey for its support of Pakistan amid recent tensions.
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