New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) IndiGo on Tuesday said it will temporarily discontinue its flight operations to and from Manchester, with effect from August 31, due to continuing international airspace constraints leading to significantly increased flight duration and a challenging cost environment.
The airline said it plans to return one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, taken on damp/wet lease, to Norse Atlantic Airways.
IndiGo said it will notify affected customers in advance and assist them with all possible options, including alternate travel arrangements or refunds, where applicable. It will continue to operate all its remaining long-haul flights as planned.
IndiGo had damp leased six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways in early 2025.
The objective behind this project was to make strategic inroads to establish the IndiGo brand in the European market, ahead of the commencement of services using its own Airbus A350 aircraft.
However, the airline has since experienced a significant impact of prevailing 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 envisaged.
“It is unfortunate that longer flying times due to airspace constraints coupled with dramatically escalating costs compelled us to take the decision to temporarily discontinue our India–Manchester services,” said Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President-Network Planning and Revenue Management, IndiGo.
“We would like to thank our customers, trade partners in India and in the UK, and Manchester Airport for their amazing support. The response and support for these services have reinforced our belief in the opportunity for IndiGo’s long-haul ambitions, and this discontinuation is temporary in nature,” he added.
—IANS
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