By Martin Shwenk Leade
IndiGo is preparing for a major change in its international operations. The airline will soon stop using two large aircraft it had leased from Turkish Airlines to run flights to Istanbul. But IndiGo has made it clear, it is not backing out of the Istanbul route.DGCA Gives Final Deadline for Turkish LeaseOn 30 May, India’s aviation regulator DGCA gave IndiGo a final three-month extension on the lease of two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from Turkish Airlines. The lease will now end on 31 August, after which IndiGo must stop using these planes.This decision came at a time when India鈥檚 relations with Turkiye have been tense, especially after Turkiye supported Pakistan following India’s strikes on terror camps in May.IndiGo CEO: “We Will Continue Flying to Istanbul”In an interview with PTI from Amsterdam, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers confirmed that the airline is actively looking for ways to continue flying to Istanbul once the lease ends.鈥淲ell, we’re looking at different scenarios now on how to look for a solution to continue to operate to Istanbul, because we will continue to operate to Istanbul,鈥 Elbers said.Live EventsOne option IndiGo is exploring is using its own A321 aircraft on the route. Although smaller than the leased Boeing 777s, these planes can still handle medium-haul international routes.Codeshare with Turkish Airlines Still OnDespite the leasing issues, IndiGo is not ending its codeshare partnership with Turkish Airlines. When asked about this, Elbers said, 鈥淭here’s no reason why we shouldn’t.鈥滱 codeshare allows airlines to sell seats on each other鈥檚 flights, making travel easier for passengers by offering more destinations on a single ticket.Supply Chain Issues Still a ChallengeElbers also shared that supply chain problems continue to affect the aviation industry. Though the worst is over, the airline is still facing delays in getting aircraft and spare parts.He added that IndiGo has handled the challenges well by extending leases and making other adjustments. This has helped reduce the number of grounded planes over time.IndiGo鈥檚 Massive Network Still GrowingIndiGo currently operates a fleet of over 400 aircraft and runs more than 2,200 flights every day. With plans to keep Istanbul on the map and manage international partnerships smartly, the airline seems focused on keeping its global ambitions flying high, no matter what changes come its way.Inputs from PTI(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
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