India unlikely to renew IndiGo–Turkish airlines pact after Ankara’s pro-Pakistan stance

New Delhi: The Indian government is unlikely to renew IndiGo’s leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines beyond 31 May, citing worsening diplomatic relations with Turkey after Ankara openly supported Pakistan during the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent military response, Operation Sindoor.

According to a report by NDTV Profit, officials familiar with the matter said that the lease agreement—under which IndiGo operates wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft on the Delhi–Istanbul route—is currently under review, but an extension appears doubtful in the present political context.

Partnership enabled European and North American connections

The IndiGo-Turkish Airlines pact includes both a leasing arrangement and a codeshare agreement, which allows the Indian airline to sell tickets for over 40 destinations in Europe and North America via Istanbul. The collaboration gave Indian travellers access to long-haul international flights without requiring national carriers to operate such routes directly.

In response to speculation around the deal’s future, IndiGo on Thursday described the partnership as “strategic” and said it was crucial for expanding international travel options for Indian passengers.

Turkey’s support for Pakistan draws backlash

Tensions between India and Turkey escalated after Turkey voiced support for Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 people were killed. Turkey has also been accused of supplying drones to Pakistan, which were reportedly used in attacks on Indian targets during Operation Sindoor.

These actions have triggered a broader diplomatic and commercial backlash in India, with several high-profile partnerships being re-evaluated or cancelled.

Ground handling and lounge access agreements cancelled

On Thursday, the Indian government also revoked security clearance for Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services, which handled around 70 percent of ground operations at Mumbai airport. The decision was taken on grounds of national security.

In a separate development, Adani Airport Holdings announced that it has terminated its agreement with Turkish company DragonPass, which previously offered access to airport lounges for its clients.

“Our association with DragonPass… has been terminated with immediate effect. DragonPass customers will no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed airports,” an Adani spokesperson confirmed, adding that this change would not affect the experience of other passengers.

Tourism and academia cut ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan

The diplomatic fallout has also had an impact on tourism and education sectors. Leading travel platforms MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip have reported mass cancellations of trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan by Indian tourists, many of whom are participating in a nationalistic boycott of countries perceived as pro-Pakistan.

In academia, prestigious Indian institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Maulana Azad National Urdu University have suspended their collaborations with Turkish universities in solidarity with national interests.

(IANS inputs)

Disclaimer: Kindly avoid objectionable, derogatory, unlawful and lewd comments, while responding to reports. Such comments are punishable under cyber laws. Please keep away from personal attacks. The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of readers and not that of Mathrubhumi.