India endorses new aviation leasing agreements with Turkish airlines, which signal the adoption of a soft approach but protect the interests of the local airlines.

India has started to accept new aviation leasing deals with Turkish airlines and it shows that India has changed its previous hard-line position on civil aviation relations. IndiGo, the largest airline in the country has had permission to lease another six months of its two Boeing 777 aircrafts with Turkish Airlines, which is registered under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Likewise, SpiceJet is also allowed to lease five Boeing 737s with the Malta-based subsidiary of Corendon Airlines.

The approvals are a change of direction from what the DGCA had ordered IndiGo to do: terminate the leasing agreement with Turkey by August 31. Authorities said that this decision was made to safeguard the interests of Indian-based aviation operators who were already in trouble with the Pakistani airspace restrictions. The leases ensured that the Indian airlines were not going to lose routes to Turkish airlines, which might have increased ticket prices.

IndiGo rejoiced with the move, indicating that the approval guarantees continuity in its operations. Aviation professionals also applauded this move by the government, saying that aviation policy should be made on commercial and strategic grounds rather than on social media outrage.

In the meantime, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has recently withdrawn the clearance of Celebi, a Turkish ground-handling company, and this caused it to leave nine airports in India. Local firms, such as Adani Group and GMR, are currently preparing to venture into ground-handling services.