For the next two years, it is unlikely that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will revisit IndiGo’s proposal to wet lease wide-body aircraft from Turkish Airlines.
Reports which came in the media on Thursday claims that, DGCA had already rejected IndiGo’s initial request because it saw it as a ‘diversion of traffic rights in conjunction with a strong foreign airline.’
In accordance with the current regulations, the regulator has given IndiGo permission to wet lease the foreign airline’s wide-body aircraft for three months, with the option of an additional three months.
IndiGo sources states that, they have requested an exception from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and are expecting a response.
According to the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), Indian operators are permitted to wet or damp lease aircraft from a foreign carrier for a period of three months that may be extended by a further three months.
Wet leasing would entail the lessee airline effectively simply issuing tickets for flights. In such a case, the regulator would only have limited supervisory jurisdiction, which would prevent airworthiness checks, pilot competency checks, breathalyser testing, and drug tests. No enforcement actions may be taken by DGCA either.
Only brief durations of wet leasing are permitted in order to address transient capacity issues. ‘Any extension of the wet lease would give IndiGo an unfair advantage and benefit the foreign airline because all traffic will be carried by that company to its hub in Turkey and then to other locations’ said DGCA source.
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