Following the recent India-Pakistan tensions that occurred in May 2025, the Indian dispensation has become wary of the Turkish influence in Indian aviation. This has led them to remove Celebi Aviation from ground handling in Indian airports, a move that is being contested in courts by the firm. Next, IndiGo’s deal with Turkish Airlines on the wet-leased Boeing 777 that is operated by TK for IndiGo was up for review.

IndiGo gets a three-month breather from the Indian regulator

IndiGo has received a final three-month extension to operate widebody aircraft wet-leased from Turkish Airlines. The extension allows the carrier to continue operating flights with the Boeing 777s until August 31, 2025, a significant move that keeps its long-haul Istanbul services alive, at least for now.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, approved the extension of the wet lease, which had earlier been set to expire on May 31, 2025. However, unlike previous approvals, this one is notably time-bound and firm, billed as the “last and final” extension. The DGCA has made it clear that there will be no further approvals granted beyond this window.

The approval is shorter than the usual six-month allowance under India’s aircraft leasing rules, reflecting broader regulatory caution, partly influenced by geopolitical tensions between India and Turkey, as well as pressure from domestic competitors.

Background: IndiGo and Turkish Airlines’ wet lease partnership

IndiGo entered into a wet lease arrangement with Turkish Airlines in 2023, deploying two Boeing 777-300ERs (operated by Turkish crews) to service its Delhi–Istanbul and Mumbai–Istanbul routes. The move allowed IndiGo to offer a long-haul product without acquiring widebody aircraft of its own, a first in the airline’s history.

The aircraft, painted in IndiGo livery, are operated by Turkish Airlines under IndiGo’s marketing code. They feature Turkish Airlines’ long-haul cabin products.

Politics and pushback

This latest lease extension hasn’t come without drama. Diplomatic strains between India and Turkey—especially over Turkey’s recent support for Pakistan on global platforms—have made Delhi wary of deepening aviation ties with Ankara. According to news reports, Air India even lobbied against the lease extension, citing national interest and competitive fairness.

Despite this, the DGCA appears to have balanced strategic concerns with operational realities. Cutting off the wet-lease cold would have impacted thousands of passengers already booked on these routes.

What happens after August?

The clock is now ticking for IndiGo. The airline has committed to winding down the wet lease by August 31 and has confirmed it will not request another extension. That leaves IndiGo with various options: either launch its widebody operations, downgauge the flights back to A321neo operations, or exit long-haul routes temporarily.

Currently, IndiGo’s fleet includes just three widebody aircraft: the two 777s from Turkish Airlines and one Airbus A330 leased from Norse Atlantic Airways. These are dwarfed by its massive narrowbody fleet of over 430 aircraft, which powers the bulk of its domestic and regional network.

IndiGo has repeatedly stated that it operated the widebody (the 777s) under the purview of the India-Turkey bilateral air services agreement, and anything they did and would do would be under the ambit of the law. Closely related to the widebody arrangement (but not dependent on it) is a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines, which allows IndiGo to also sell tickets to Turkish Airlines destinations across the globe, with the passenger starting/ending their journey in India on IndiGo.

Bottomline

With the DGCA granting a final three-month reprieve, IndiGo has a narrow window to firm up its long-haul game plan. Whether that involves finally taking the plunge into operating its widebody aircraft or finding a creative alternative remains to be seen. But for now, if you’re booked on an IndiGo Boeing 777 flight to Istanbul this summer, you’re still good to go until August 31, 2025.

What do you make of IndiGo’s options in this case? The A321s will mostly be unable to fly that far without a technical stop, and no other widebodies in the market for now?

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