India has decided to exclude Turkey from certain aviation arrangements as a retaliatory step following Ankara’s support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, India’s anti-terror operation after the Pahalgam terror strike. As part of this move, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has made it clear that it will not extend the operational permission for five Turkish aircraft currently used by IndiGo, India’s largest airline.
IndiGo presently leases 15 foreign aircraft, of which seven are from Turkey. Earlier, the DGCA had curtailed the operating permits of five narrow-body aircraft until March 2026, with a clear indication that no further extension would be granted. These aircraft are Boeing 737s leased from Turkey’s Corendon Airlines. IndiGo had already announced that this lease arrangement would end on March 26. The remaining two Turkish aircraft in IndiGo’s fleet are Boeing 777 wide-body planes, whose operational approvals are set to expire in February 2026. Once these deadlines lapse, IndiGo will no longer be permitted to operate any of the seven Turkish-leased aircraft, which will have to be returned to the leasing companies. The DGCA has also advised the airline not to seek renewal of these leases.
Some media reports had earlier claimed that the flying permits for Turkish aircraft operated by IndiGo were extended by another six months. However, the DGCA stepped in to clarify that no such extension has been granted. At present, IndiGo deploys these aircraft mainly on its Delhi and Mumbai services to Istanbul. IndiGo had also received earlier approval to lease five Airbus A320 aircraft from another Turkish operator, Freebird. These aircraft have not yet entered service, and in the prevailing geopolitical context, it is unlikely that they will be allowed to operate. While aircraft leasing is a routine practice in global aviation, the current situation reflects a clear policy shift.
Turkey’s open support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, including the supply of Turkish arms, triggered a strong backlash in India. Calls to boycott Turkish goods and tourism gained momentum, leading to a sharp decline in Indian travel to Turkey. Official figures indicate that Indian tourist arrivals to Turkey have fallen by over 30 per cent this year. In another significant step, India has cancelled the security clearance of Turkish ground-handling firm Celebi. The company was removed from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, which is operated by the Adani Group, marking a broader tightening of restrictions on Turkish entities operating in India.
