New Delhi: The nation’s largest airline, IndiGo clarified on Monday that approximately 30 aircraft are grounded as a due to “supply chain problems” and it is considering wet leasing of aircraft as well as other possibilities to expand operations.

The airline, which is also the seventh largest in the world in terms of daily departures, had 279 aircraft in its fleet as of the end of September. It presently flies to 100 locations, including 26 international ones, on more than 1,600 daily flights.

A source claims that 30 IndiGo aircraft are grounded as a result of supply chain issues.

“While it is our immediate priority to deploy adequate capacity to serve our customers, we are actively engaged with our OEM partners to work on mitigation measures that should ensure the continuity of our network and operations”, a company representative told media. “As we work on various cost-efficient countermeasures with our OEM partners, the endeavour is to minimise the economic impact of around 30 AOG (Aircraft on Ground), resulting from this global disruption.”

The airline is considering reducing the number of redeliveries through lease extensions, investigating the possibility of adding new aircraft to the fleet, and assessing the wet lease possibilities within the confines of the law.

“We are bullish on the market opportunities and will continue to add flights in existing and new markets,” the airline said.

Over 57% of the home market is controlled by the carrier.

According to CAPA, an aviation consulting company, around 75 aircraft operated by Indian airlines are currently grounded because of maintenance and engine-related concerns.

These aircraft, which make up 10% to 12% of the Indian fleet, are grounded because of maintenance or engine-related problems. In its India Mid-Year Outlook 2023, CAPA had stated that “they will have a considerable influence on financials in the second half.”

On November 4, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers stated that the airline’s operations have been hampered by the grounding of aircraft owing to supply chain disruption in aircraft manufacture and a subsequent global scarcity of spare engines.

“The challenges are forcing us to look at different ways and means in order to make sure that we have the capacity to operate,” he had said.