IndiGo pulls a rabbit out of the hat with a further extension on Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 777 wet lease

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

In May, IndiGo had received, what was then, a final three-month extension to operate widebody aircraft wet-leased from Turkish Airlines. The extension allowed the carrier to continue operating flights with the Boeing 777s until August 31, 2025. At the time, the DGCA made it clear that no further approvals would be granted beyond this window.

The approval was 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.

When asked about the options at the launch of IndiGo’s widebody flights to Manchester, Pieter Elbers, the CEO of IndiGo, had said that there was time and the airline was exploring its options. The options are now identified. Maintain the status quo.

While IndiGo had transitioned its flights to the A321 fleet, effective September 1, it has now secured the DGCA’s approval to operate the 777 for an additional six months. Apparently, the approval was sought because the Delhi-Istanbul flights could not be operated with the A321 (due to the closure of Pakistan airspace), as reported by Saurabh Sinha of The Times of India.

. @IndiGo6E allowed to use @TurkishAirlines B777s for 6 more months from Sept 1

Original deadline to return those 2 ✈️was Aug 31

6E sought @MoCA_GoI extension as Pak airspace closure meant its A321s could not do DEL-IST

Option was to cancel & only Turkish wud operate: sources

— Saurabh Sinha (@27saurabhsinha) August 28, 2025

And sure enough, the flight details have been updated pretty quickly.

For the time being, this means we can see IndiGo operating with the 777s to Istanbul through February 2026.

Bottomline

With the DGCA granting another six-month reprieve, IndiGo has a favourable window to solidify its long-haul game plan. The airline will now be able to operate flights to Istanbul with the 777 for the next six months, which will also spare IndiGo the need to get a technical stop in the Middle East for the flight.

You can view your flight options on Skyscanner.

What do you make of the U-turn by the DGCA for IndiGo’s flights to Istanbul?

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