The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is set to introduce streamlined regulations for the wet-leasing of aircraft, addressing the growing demand for more planes amid supply chain challenges in the aviation industry. With delays in aircraft deliveries and the need to meet rising travel demand, Indian airlines have been increasingly opting for dry and wet leases to expand their fleets in the near term.
A senior DGCA official confirmed that efforts were underway to refine the rules governing wet-leasing to support aviation growth while ensuring enhanced oversight. Wet-leasing involves leasing an aircraft along with the crew, maintenance, and insurance, with the aircraft being under the operational control of the foreign lessor and subject to the regulations of their civil aviation authority.
As IndiGo and SpiceJet operate wet-leased planes and Air India utilizes some dry-leased aircraft, the DGCA is working on revising the existing regulations. Currently, the DGCA does not have full oversight over wet-leased aircraft, but changes are expected to ease restrictions, allowing domestic carriers more flexibility in leasing aircraft to meet demand. The revised regulations will allow for situations where only the pilots are from the foreign lessor while the rest of the crew remains from the Indian carrier. Pilots of wet-leased planes will still adhere to the regulations of the foreign regulator, including Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). The DGCA’s proposed changes aim to ensure that Indian carriers can efficiently use wet-leased planes, helping them mitigate aircraft shortages and better serve the growing demand for air travel.
