Policy for wet-leasing aircraft weighed

Indian airlines will soon be able to expand and launch new routes through wet-leased aircraft with the government likely to announce relaxed norms soon, two officials confirmed.

- Neha L. M. Tripathi

Current rules do not allow airlines to launch new routes on wet-leased aircraft, which is when airlines are facing delays in inducting new aircraft due to supply chain issues across the globe.

This relaxation could benefit airlines like IndiGo and SpiceJet, which can use wet-leased aircraft to launch new routes too.

While IndiGo has wet-leased dual-aisle aircraft for international operations, SpiceJet keeps inducting such aircraft for its operations.

"The government is streamlining the policy for wet-leasing aircraft that will allow airlines to use these aircraft for new routes too. While a couple of airlines are into wet-leasing aircraft, occasionally all airlines will have a need for it," an official close to the development said, requesting anonymity.