Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
IndiGo on Tuesday announced that it will temporarily discontinue its flights to and from Manchester from August 31, 2026, citing international airspace constraints and a challenging operating cost environment.
The airline said continuing international airspace restrictions have significantly increased flight durations, making operations on the route commercially difficult.
Consequent to the decision, IndiGo plans to return one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that it had taken on damp/wet lease from Norse Atlantic Airways. The airline, however, said it will continue operating all its remaining long-haul flights as planned.
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IndiGo had damp leased six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways in early 2025 as part of its strategy to establish its brand presence in the European market ahead of the induction of its own Airbus A350 aircraft.
The airline said it has since faced several industry-wide challenges, including geopolitical developments in the Middle East, rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs, severe airspace constraints and foreign exchange volatility, resulting in operating costs being considerably higher than originally anticipated.
“Due to continuing international airspace constraints leading to significantly increased flight duration and a challenging cost environment, IndiGo is having to temporarily discontinue its flight operations to and from Manchester with effect from 31 August 2026,” the airline said in a statement.
Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management, IndiGo, said the airline had inducted the wide-body aircraft on a short-term basis to accelerate connectivity to high-potential long-haul destinations such as Manchester and had witnessed encouraging demand for the service.
Dasgupta said the suspension was temporary and that the airline looked forward to resuming services on the route at the earliest viable opportunity. He added that IndiGo was also exploring innovative solutions to continue its collaboration with Norse Atlantic Airways.
The airline said it will notify affected customers in advance and assist them with all possible options, including alternate travel arrangements or refunds, wherever applicable.
IndiGo currently operates flights to Manchester from Delhi and Mumbai. The services to the UK city were launched in July last year.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
