TBM Staff - Mumbai In a move that could boost affordable direct connectivity between India and distant continents, the government has conditionally relaxed the rule of allowing Indian carriers to wet lease aircraft (hire with entire operating crew) for a maximum of six months by doubling that period to a year. Accordingly, IndiGo can now wet lease two twin aisles to operate flights between Delhi/ Mumbai and Istanbul for a year, reports Saurabh Sinha for TOI.
Wet leasing more wide-body aircraft, beyond these two, will be allowed only if IndiGo uses them to operate non-stops between India and distant places like North America or the UK, say top Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) officials. With this decision, the Jyotiraditya Scindia-headed MoCA has struck a fine balance between IndiGo’s request to wet lease six Boeing 777s from Turkish Airlines for two years — against the allowed six months.
