IndiGo to ease off aircraft lease model

shifting to include financial leases and even some direct ownership.”

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In financial leases, aircraft is treated as an asset.

(AFP)

Asofthis quarter, the carrier counted 14 planes it owned and 62 on financial lease. Of the remaining aircraft on its 417-plane fleet, 333 were on operating leases-mostly by way of sale-and-leasebacks—and eight were on so-called damp leases where the lessor provides not just the jets but also pilots, maintenance, and insurance. The split ofowned versus leased planes for 2030 isnot known.

In financial leases, the aircraft is treated as an asset by the airline, which assumes all risks (or rewards) that come with ownership. Under operational leases, planes are bundled with services such as insurance and repair, and sometimes even pilots; for example, a damp lease.