The Indian low-cost airline Indigo intends to wet lease five Boeing 737-Max-8s operated by Qatar Airways for around six months. The aim is to at least partially compensate for capacity bottlenecks that arose due to engine problems in the A320neo fleet.

Indian media report that the aircraft and cockpit staff are to be rented from the golf carrier. However, the aim is to employ Indigo flight attendants in the cabin area. Training courses are currently underway and are being held in Doha. The collaboration will initially be limited to six months - with an option for an extension.

IndiGo is considered an extremely loyal Airbus customer and only operates aircraft from the European manufacturer. With the upcoming cooperation with Qatar Airways, Boeing 737-Max-8s would also fly on behalf of the Indian carrier for the first time. IndiGo currently has 314 Airbus aircraft. Furthermore, two Boeing 777-300ERs operated by Turkish Airlines are in wet lease.

According to its own information, due to the size of its fleet, IndiGo is particularly affected by the engine problems surrounding the Pratt & Whitney engines used in the Neo models. There are currently an average of 40 machines on the ground every month. The carrier expects this quota to increase to 75 units per month over the course of this year. With the help of the cooperation with Qatar Airways, it is hoped that the effects can be at least somewhat cushioned.