By Aritra Banerjee
Turkish Airlines and IndiGo Airlines have expanded their existing partnership with the launch of IndiGo’s wide-body operations from Delhi to Istanbul. The two airlines have signed a wet lease agreement, which allows IndiGo to add a Boeing 777 aircraft to its operations and operate the Delhi-Istanbul route.
Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo Airlines, and a delegation joined the first TK 4650 flight departing from Delhi and were welcomed by Turkish Airlines General Manager Bilal Ekşi and his executive team upon arrival at Istanbul Airport.
At the welcoming event, Bilal Ekşi stated, “We are confident that this project will serve the future success of the commercial and strategic cooperation between successful companies.” The agreement allows Turkish Airlines to sell both business class and economy class tickets, while IndiGo will only be able to sell economy class tickets due to its operational structure.
The B777-300ER type aircraft, with 28 business class and 372 economy class seats, in the Turkish Airlines fleet will start operations on the IST-DEL route and will be replaced later with a larger aircraft that will also be added to Turkish Airlines’ fleet. The second B777-300ER aircraft will be used for flights on the IST-BOM line.
The wet-lease agreement began on 1 February 2023 and is planned to last for one year. Turkish Airlines cabin crew will provide high-quality service to business class passengers, while IndiGo will handle the operation of economy class.
The cooperation between Turkish Airlines and IndiGo Airlines is expected to increase capacity between the two countries and create alternative travel options for passengers from India and around the world. The Turkish and Indian Civil Aviation Authorities have supported and approved this partnership.
