IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International) is in talks with the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to secure approval to wet lease ten A320-type aircraft over the 2023/24 winter season. According to reports, the move is designed to counter capacity constraints caused by the high number of aircraft grounded because of Pratt & Whitney engine issues.
Sources close to the talks told the HinduBusinessLine outlet that the necessary approvals were almost finalised and the planes could start arriving as soon as next month. Last year, India relaxed its rules regarding wet-leasing aircraft. India-based carriers can now apply to wet-lease aircraft for up to 12 months. Previously, the regulations restricted wet-leases to three months plus a further three-month extension. IndiGo currently wet-leases two B777-300ERs from Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport), which it uses on the India - Türkiye country pair.
The reports of the new wet lease did not specify what type of A320 Indigo was looking to secure. However, the airline already operates twenty A320-200s and 172 A320-200Ns among a more extensive fleet of Airbus narrowbodies. Last week, ch-aviation also reported that IndiGo had signed for an additional ten A320-200Ns. Those aircraft will be supplied via BOC Aviation on a dry-lease basis. ch-aviation asked IndiGo a series of questions on the upcoming wet-leases, which the airline declined to answer.
