India's largest domestic carrier IndiGo has signed its first codeshare agreement as part of its international expansion strategy.
The airline has agreed a codeshare and mutual cooperation deal with Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines.
lndiGo will place its 6E code on 20 points beyond Istanbul operated by Turkish Airlines. Similarly, Turkish Airlines will use its TK code on lndiGo operated flights within India.
“We are very excited to be launching our first codeshare with Turkish Airlines: apart from supporting our upcoming direct services to Istanbul, this strategic partnership will expand the choices available to our customers for journeys beyond Istanbul, using Turkish Airlines' extensive network,” said Rahul Bhatia, director and interim chief executive of lndiGo.
Bilal Ekşi, Turkish Airlines’ chief executive and deputy chairman, added: “We are very happy to host new operators in our main hub Istanbul, and lndiGo will be the first Indian carrier starting flights to Turkey which is very welcome.
“We believe that it would be great opportunity to improve our cooperation with our new codeshare partner lndiGo, which will provide new services and destinations for our passengers travelling to/from India.”
Turkish Airlines previously had a frequent flier partnership in India with Jet Airways. However, Jet Airways ended the deal in October 2017.
According to OAG Schedules Analyser, Turkish Airlines currently operates daily service to two points in India - Mumbai and Delhi - from Istanbul.
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