The aviation regulator has denied IndiGo's request to wet lease Boeing planes from Turkish Airlines for up to two years, according to sources quoted by PTI.
The DGCA has allowed the low-cost carrier to wet lease the planes for up to six months.
The request for a longer term lease was denied because the DGCA cited the risk of diversion of traffic rights in collusion with a strong foreign carrier that will primarily feed the latter's hub abroad with more passengers from India, according to PTI sources.
Wet leasing is a method of dealing with supply shortages that entails leasing planes as well as the operating crew and engineers.
IndiGo, which currently only has narrow-body planes in its fleet, decided to lease wide-body planes in order to increase international flight capacity and meet rising demand.
There are currently supply issues from engine manufacturers Pratt & Whitney and CFM, resulting in many IndiGo and Go First Airbus A320 planes being grounded.
According to sources, the DGCA has approved IndiGo's request to wet lease wide-body aircraft from Turkish Airlines for three months, with the option to extend the lease for another three months. IndiGo did not respond immediately.
PTI reported on October 12 that IndiGo will soon lease up to four wide-body Boeing 777 planes to cover the shortfall in its international operations.
Wet leasing an aircraft, according to sources, essentially means that an Indian airline is only issuing tickets for aircraft operated by the carrier from which the planes have been taken.
Furthermore, the entire operating crew and engineers would be from the foreign airline in question. According to the sources, the DGCA lacks adequate safety oversight of aircraft operated under wet lease arrangements.
At the moment, bilateral agreements between India and Turkey call for only two flights per day to be operated by airlines from both countries.
The Indian government is also considering mega aviation hubs and encouraging domestic airlines to have wide-body planes in their fleets.
