Budget carrier IndiGo is reportedly looking at enabling a codeshare connectivity to the United States (US) and Canada through its partnership with Canada. As per updates, the move comes just days after UAE’s Emirates reportedly started exploring a codeshare pact with Tata Group-led Air India.
According to a PTI report, IndiGo has received an approval from the Ministry of Civil Aviation which allows the carrier to wet lease up to two planes for operating flights to the United States and Canada. However, on being asked about the same, IndiGo reportedly declined to confirm the same and said that at this stage, it is pure speculation.
“At present, our objective is to enable codeshare connectivity to the US and Canada via our partnership with Turkish Airlines after the required application and approval process,” PTI quoted IndiGo’s statement as saying.
The report adds that IndiGo started operating a wide-body Boeing 777 on the Delhi-Istanbul route in February, 2023. While this is the first time that IndiGo started flying a wide-body aircraft, it must be noted that the plane has been taken on wet lease from Turkish Airlines.
Usually, under the wet lease agreement, planes are leased along with the operating crew and engineers. However, this wet leasing is usually allowed only for short periods with the main aim of tackling supply constraints and ensure that airfares don’t zoom exponentially.
For those not familiar with the details, a codeshare agreement allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers. It not only helps in seamless travel where it has no presence but also aids better route options for both carriers in agreement.
(With inputs from PTI)
