IndiGo can wet lease Turkish Boeing 777 planes for a yr as govt eases rule

Airline says aviation ministry has granted permission to all Indian carriers to wet lease aircraft for a period of six months, extendable by another six months

With the civil aviation ministry relaxing norms, IndiGo can now wet-lease Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines for a year. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had earlier denied IndiGo’s request to wet-lease aircraft for two years.

According to the earlier rule, an Indian carrier could induct an aircraft on a wet lease for three months, subject to a one-time extension of additional three months. Such leases are permitted in emergency situations only. These include unexpected grounding of planes, and unscheduled maintenance, among others.

 In a wet lease, the lessor provides pilots, takes care of maintenance, and insurance of the aircraft for