Following India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) decision to allow Indian airlines to wet-lease aircraft for up to 12 months, IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International) has advised that it is seeking final DGCA approval to wet-lease B777 aircraft to operate on the Delhi International - Istanbul Airport city pair. IndiGo plans to obtain the B777-300ERs from Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport).
"We are working closely with the authorities to ensure all the required steps to obtain the approvals are completed well in time and will consider the earliest the go-live date for these aircraft in line with the expected receipt of requisite approvals," said a December 16 IndiGo statement.
As reported in ch-aviation, the DGCA has relaxed previously stringent rules that only permitted three-month wet leases and then only in certain circumstances. After a sustained campaign by IndiGo, the regulator is now allowing local carriers to sign contracts for six-month leases with the option for a six-month extension. "This wet lease solution will also enable us to better utilize our A321 narrowbody fleet to continue our network deployment in light of the global supply chain issues," the statement added.
Previously, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers cited supply chain disruptions in aircraft manufacturing and a subsequent shortage of spare engines worldwide as reasons why he needed to look at wet-leasing planes beyond three months. ch-aviation fleets data shows the airline now operating 251 out of its 293 aircraft. During a November analyst's briefing, Elbers said those supply chain issues, particularly regarding aircraft engines and spares, were having a material impact on IndiGo's operations.
"The challenges are forcing us to look at different ways and means in order to make sure that we have the capacity to operate," he said.
