An IndiGo spokesperson has confirmed that the low-cost carrier has ended its wet/dry Boeing 777-300ER lease with Turkish Airlines, with the airline planning to fly to Istanbul Airport (IST) with its Airbus A320neo, and later, the A321XLR.
In a statement to The Engine Cowl, an IndiGo spokesperson said that, in compliance “with the order of the regulatory authorities, IndiGo is no longer operating flights under wet/dry lease with Turkish Airlines.”
“To ensure continuity of service, when the situation allows, we plan to operate flights to and from Istanbul using our current Airbus A320 fleet, with a necessary tech-halt.”
With additional A321XLR deliveries, IndiGo will launch its own non-stop flights to IST, the spokesperson added.
“As always, we continue to remain fully compliant with all the regulatory guidelines, while being steadfast in our commitment to offering enhanced connectivity, along with affordable, on-time, and courteous experience to our customers.”
Cirium’s Diio Mi shows that IndiGo’s last flight to IST, flown with the 531-seat 777-300ER, was on February 27. The airline served the Turkish capital from both Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM).
Per Flightradar24, the two 777-300ERs that Turkish Airlines had leased to IndiGo, registered as TC-LKE and TC-LKD, were moved back to IST on March 2, overflying Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, the Caucasus countries, and Turkey before landing at the capital’s airport.
Before Israel and the United States launched an attack against Iran on February 28, sparking a region-wide conflict, IndiGo operated a flight each from DEL and BOM to IST via Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RKT) with A320neo aircraft.
The two A320neos, registered as VT-IZM and VT-IXK, returned to India by stopping in Saudi Arabia.
Current schedules show that IndiGo plans to switch to the A321XLR on May 1, operating nonstop flights from DEL to IST.
The low-cost carrier’s booking engine showed that its codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines is still in place.
Rytis Beresnevicius
