IndiGo to wet-lease 7 aircraft from Qatar Airways and Freebird to boost domestic capacity

IndiGo is operating more than 2,000 flights a day as part of its revised and scaled-down schedule.
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VELANKANNI RAJ B

To boost capacity in its domestic operations, embattled airline IndiGo has entered into wet-lease agreements with Qatar Airways and Freebird Airlines, industry sources told businessline.

In technical parlance, a wet-lease agreement involves leasing of aircraft along with cockpit crew, cabin crew, maintenance and insurance, all provided by the lessor. In total, seven aircraft are being leased — two from Qatar Airways and five from Freebird Airlines.

Aircraft induction

The agreement will allow IndiGo to station two aircraft, which will be inducted in December 2025 and January 2026, respectively. Additionally, five Airbus A320 aircraft, along with pilots and crew, will be inducted from Freebird Airlines.

These measures are expected to ramp up domestic capacity in the short term. Sources said that IndiGo is expected to receive five Airbus A320 aircraft as early as January.

“This move supports the airline’s efforts to manage rising passenger demand and operational capacity,” they added.

Bengaluru will serve as the primary operational base for these wet-leased aircraft in India.

Sources further stated that IndiGo plans to deploy the Freebird Airlines aircraft across its network, with a focus on regional routes connecting Bengaluru to destinations such as Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Surat.

Sources said the airline had secured permissions for wet leasing these aircraft well before the recent disruptions. “However, it is only now that the carrier has started to aggressively push for the induction of this capacity,” sources said.

Presently, wet lease for domestic operations is allowed in special circumstances when aircraft availability is in question due to supply-side constraints.

“The domestic market requires more capacity addition due to the rising passenger numbers,” sources said.

The government maintains that wet leasing of aircraft is a normal practice in the global aviation industry. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that due to the grounding of aircraft because of engine-related issues and the delays in delivery of aircraft against orders from the OEMs, many Indian carriers, as a stop-gap arrangement, are resorting to wet lease from foreign companies.  

In an undertaking submitted by Indigo Airlines in the instant case, the airline sought a last time extension, since their long-range aircraft (A321-XLR) are to be delivered by February 2026.

The airline is required to regularly share its recruitment plan for pilots and cabin crew, including the updated strength, the recruitment and training pipeline for the coming months, and measures taken to prevent roster shortages and issues linked to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).

The move is expected to provide relief to the airline as the Centre has curtailed its domestic schedule by 10 per cent.

IndiGo is operating more than 2,000 flights a day as part of its revised and scaled-down schedule.

The airline had earlier cited that it has demonstrated continuous operational normalisation and stability for the last two weeks, with all 138 operational destinations connected.

Published on December 23, 2025