IndiGo extend lease of Turkish aircraft for 6 more months, DGCA gives approval

August 29, 2025

Airline company IndiGo got a big relief on Thursday. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved IndiGo to extend the lease of Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines for another six months. Now this agreement will run till February 2026.

These aircraft operate flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul. An airline spokesperson said that this approval has come at a very important time. “This will provide stability in flight operations and convenience to passengers in the current geopolitical situation”, IndiGo said.

This will help India avoid losses in air services and passengers will also have direct connectivity to Istanbul and other places during peak season.

Earlier on May 30, DGCA had ordered to end this lease by August 31. DGCA had said that IndiGo should not seek permission to extend the agreement. Turkey had supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Due to this, this decision was taken by the Government of India.

Small planes are not effective on Istanbul route

According to sources, IndiGo was considering putting small A321 planes on the Istanbul route, but this was not possible due to Pakistan’s airspace being closed. Small planes do not have the capacity to carry fuel for long distances.

May 30 – DGCA extended the deal by three months

Earlier, DGCA had said on May 30 that IndiGo’s lease duration with Turkish Airlines is being extended for the last time for only three months. After this, it will not be extended. Along with this, DGCA had also asked IndiGo to end the lease agreement with Turkish Airlines.

DGCA had said – no further extension will be given

On May 30, IndiGo had appealed to DGCA to extend the lease with Turkish Airlines for six months. DGCA had said that this extension is based on IndiGo’s commitment that the airline will terminate the damp lease with Turkish Airlines within this extension period and will not seek any further extension for these operations.