IndiGo Asked To End Aircraft Lease With Turkish Airlines Amid India-Turkey Tensions

The Indian central government on Friday directed IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, to terminate its aircraft lease agreement with Turkish Airlines within three months, a significant step amid strained diplomatic undertones between New Delhi and Ankara.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) informed that IndiGo’s request for a further six-month extension for its two B777-300ER aircraft currently operating under a damp lease from Turkish Airlines was denied. The existing permission for this lease was valid up to May 31.

In an official statement, the DGCA said, “However, in order to avoid passenger inconvenience due to immediate flight disruption, Indigo has been granted a one-time last and final extension of three months upto 31.08.2025 for these damp leased aircraft.” This extension is contingent “based on the undertaking from the airline that, they will terminate the damp lease with Turkish Airline within this extension period, and shall not seek any further extension for these operations,” the statement added.

This directive comes just weeks after the government, on May 15, revoked the security clearance for Celebi Aviation Holding’s Indian unit, Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd. The Turkish firm handled ground services at nine key airports in India, including Delhi, with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) citing national security concerns for the move.

These actions are widely seen against the backdrop of Turkey’s vocal support for Pakistan following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had expressed solidarity with Islamabad in the aftermath. More recently, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Erdogan in Istanbul on Sunday.

Following their meeting, a statement from Erdogan’s office indicated that the two countries would strive to boost cooperation, particularly in defence, energy, and transportation. Sharif also took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank Erdogan for his “resolute support to Pakistan in the recent Pakistan India standoff,” further highlighting the close ties.

The growing diplomatic chill has also led several online travel portals and industry associations in India to issue advisories urging people to avoid travelling to Turkey.