DGCA to come out with regulations for wet-leasing of planes

Aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will soon come out with streamlined regulations for the wet-leasing of planes by Indian airlines that will also entail enhanced oversight of the aircraft, amid airlines looking to operate more planes to meet rising travel demand. With persistent supply chain woes, there is a delay in aircraft deliveries and to meet the near-term needs, carriers are opting for planes on dry and wet leases. Many planes of airlines are on the ground due to certain model engine issues and the number of such aircraft is slowly coming down. Currently, IndiGo and SpiceJet operate wet-leased planes while Air India flies some dry-leased aircraft. Under the existing regulations, DGCA does not have full control over a wet-leased aircraft. There are also certain restrictions in terms of wet-leasing of planes for new or additional routes, said a report.