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India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted IndiGo a six-month extension to continue leasing two Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines until Feb. 28, 2026, following earlier refusals linked to anti-Türkiye sentiment that surfaced after border clashes between India and Pakistan in May.
The initial lease was set to expire on Aug. 31, 2025, and the renewed arrangement enables IndiGo to maintain operations on its high-demand international routes, providing stability during the upcoming peak travel season.
IndiGo has been operating the wide-body aircraft on the Delhi–Istanbul and Mumbai–Istanbul routes since 2023. Compared with its previous use of narrow-body planes, the Boeing 777s allow the airline to carry a higher number of passengers and meet strong demand for travel between India and Türkiye.
The extension also ensures continuity of services for Indian travelers connecting through Istanbul to Europe and the United States under the codeshare agreement between IndiGo and Turkish Airlines, first launched in 2018.
The DGCA’s decision includes conditions requiring IndiGo to evaluate dry lease options, which involve leasing aircraft without crew, and to operate them under its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
IndiGo expressed appreciation for the regulator’s decision, noting that it would help the airline mitigate potential financial losses while ensuring uninterrupted operations. "Given the current geopolitical challenges, this extension provides much-needed continuity and stability in operations, allowing us to better serve the growing demand for international travel," the airline said.
The extension comes at a time when the carrier has been contending with slower revenue growth and broader challenges facing India’s aviation sector, including the fallout from a recent Air India crash.
Since 2023, the wet lease arrangement with Turkish Airlines has provided IndiGo with not only additional capacity but also access to Turkish Airlines’ crew, strengthening its ability to serve long-haul destinations.
The arrangement has also supported job creation and sectoral growth while giving Indian travelers wider access to global routes through Istanbul’s role as a major transit hub.
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