DEEPSHIKHA VERMA
New Delhi, Dec 27 (UNI): Indian airlines IndiGo and SpiceJet continue to rely on foreign aircraft leased on “Wet/Damp Lease” arrangements to shore up capacity amid fleet constraints and delivery delays, according to details of aircraft currently operating and scheduled for induction.
IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, currently operates 15 foreign-leased aircraft and plans to induct eight more in the coming months.
Among the major lessors is Turkish Airlines, which has provided two Boeing 777 aircraft under a lease valid until February 28, 2026, following a six-month extension granted in August.
Norse Atlantic Airways of Norway operates five Boeing 787 aircraft for IndiGo, with one additional aircraft proposed to be inducted in January 2026.
“Additionally, the airline has leased one Airbus A320 from SmartLynx Airlines, based in Latvia, with operations approved until March 2026. Qatar Airways has supplied two Airbus A321 aircraft, while two more are scheduled to join the fleet in December 2025 and January 2026,” a statemnet said.
Turkish carrier Corendon Airlines is operating five Boeing 737 aircraft for IndiGo until March 31, 2026. In addition, five Airbus A320 aircraft from Freebird Airlines of Turkey are yet to be inducted.
Furthermore, SpiceJet, which has been using wet-leased aircraft to stabilise operations, currently has 17 foreign aircraft in service.
Czech carrier SmartWings operates five Boeing 737 aircraft for SpiceJet, with leases running until May 2026. Meanwhile, Ireland-based Fly4 Airline provides three Boeing 737 aircraft under a similar timeline.
Corendon Airline Europe, based in Malta, operates five Boeing 737 aircraft for SpiceJet until March 2026, while Ascend Airways of the UK supplies three Boeing 737 aircraft approved until April 2026. Romanian carrier Legend Airlines operates one Airbus A340 for SpiceJet, with the lease valid until December 2025.
A ‘wet lease’ provides an aircraft with crew (flight and cabin), maintenance, and insurance (ACMI), operating under the lessor’s certificate. A ‘damp lease’, often a UK term, is similar, but the lessee provides the cabin crew, while the lessor supplies the aircraft, flight crew, maintenance, and insurance, adding a layer of control for the lessee. Essentially, a damp lease is a wet lease minus the cabin crew.
