IndiGo to cut ties with Turkish Airlines over Pakistan connection

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a stricter deadline on IndiGo to end its lease agreement with Turkish Airlines, following growing public anger in India over Turkey’s stance on regional geopolitical issues. The decision comes in the wake of Turkey's criticism of India’s Operation Sindoor and its overt support for Pakistan, which has triggered strong public outrage across India.

A large number of tourism trips from India to Turkey were cancelled, and India imposed strong economic and trade pressures on Turkey. In the wake of this, the DGCA imposed a stricter deadline for IndiGo to end its ties with Turkish Airlines.

IndiGo currently operates two Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft leased on a damp lease basis from Turkish Airlines. These aircraft run direct services from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul. A damp lease refers to an arrangement where an airline leases an aircraft along with the cockpit crew, but the cabin crew belongs to the leasing airline — in this case, IndiGo.

IndiGo’s lease agreement with Turkish Airlines was originally set to end on May 31. Although IndiGo had requested a six-month extension, the DGCA denied the request. Instead, the regulator granted only a three-month extension, stating this would be the final and non-negotiable deadline. The extension was granted to ensure that passenger services would not be disrupted. IndiGo has reportedly assured the DGCA that it will terminate its lease agreement with Turkish Airlines by August 31 and will not seek any further extensions.