Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft that IndiGo operates on wet lease increase their fleet as Indian aviation market expands competition and capacity.

In an unexpected twist of events, the largest carrier in the country, IndiGo, is now inducting MAX 8 aircraft into its fleet on wet-lease from Turkish carrier Corendon Airlines. The first two units that arrived by way of Delhi from Antalya form part of a much larger receipt scheduled for later this month. Ironic as it may be, this is for IndiGo, the greatest orders in the Airbus fleet.

The MAX 8 are being leased as part of IndiGo's strategy to try and manage the competition from Air India Express. November was a record month in domestic travel history for IndiGo, carrying over 10 million passengers in a single month. Challenges for IndiGo include continued delays in expanding their fleet due to Pratt & Whitney engines affecting over 50 of their planes.

IndiGo is not new to this strategy of wet-leasing; in fact, the airline had previously inducted some aircraft acquired from Small Planet Airlines in 2017. However, the current induction of MAX 8, which has a 189-seat capacity, differs from IndiGo's standard configuration currently varying between 180-186 seats, and may thus lead to per passenger confusion with a possible increase in operational cost.

India's aviation industry is suffering from a supply drought. In this, wet-leasing adds a new dimension to airlines which include SpiceJet and IndiGo. While IndiGo will be able to absorb these costs because of its financial strength, the consequences of this in the long run for its brand and aviation operations are yet to be seen.