IndiGo will reintroduce wet-leased Boeing 777 aircraft on Istanbul routes from December 1, offering passengers higher capacity and shorter travel time.
The airline is replacing its A320 aircraft on Delhi-Istanbul and Mumbai-Istanbul routes with the larger Boeing 777 after securing yet another extension from the civil aviation ministry for the wet lease of Turkish Airlines aircraft. The A320 aircraft have been operating on Istanbul routes since mid-November.
IndiGo’s Airbus A320 plane has 180-186 seats compared to 531 seats in Turkish Airlines Boeing 777. Due to a payload restriction, the Airbus A320 also makes a technical halt in Doha on the Istanbul-Mumbai leg, thus increasing overall travel time.
IndiGo introduced Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 planes on Delhi—Istanbul and Mumbai—Istanbul routes in January and May 2023, respectively. This followed an extensive codeshare partnership between IndiGo and Turkish Airlines, which has allowed the Indian carrier to sell seats beyond Istanbul, including destinations in Europe and the US.
While the civil aviation ministry allows wet leasing of planes for up to one year, IndiGo has been successful in securing multiple extensions, citing supply chain challenges.
Under a wet lease, a lessor provides the lessee with pilots, crew, and aircraft. The aircraft is also maintained as per the regulatory requirements of the lessor’s home country.
“IndiGo confirms it has received civil aviation ministry approval to wet lease Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft for six months, extendable by another six months. We hope to reintroduce the aircraft on Istanbul routes from December 1,” an airline spokesperson said.