IndiGo Turkish Airlines Lease: Govt Seeks Security Inputs

New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) The civil aviation ministry is taking inputs from IndiGo and security agencies on the airline's use of planes leased from Turkish Airlines and then will decide on the way forward, Union Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Friday.

On May 15, aviation security watchdog BCAS revoked the security clearance for Turkish company Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd in the "interest of national security", days after Turkiye backed Pakistan and condemned India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country.

Some online travel portals and associations have also issued advisories asking people not to visit Turkiye.

"Presently, we are taking inputs from IndiGo and also security agencies... we will like to see (then) on how to proceed," Naidu said on Friday.

He was responding to a query from PTI on what the ministry is discussing with respect to IndiGo operating planes leased from Turkish Airlines.

IndiGo is operating direct flights to Istanbul with two leased Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines having over 500 seats each. It also offers codeshare seats to more than 40 points in Europe and the US through the codeshare partnership with the Turkish carrier.

On May 21, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said the airline is fully compliant with all regulatory frameworks and regulations for operating flights with planes leased from Turkish Airlines and that it is for the government to decide on the renewal of the leases.