IndiGo will temporarily suspend its flights to Manchester, UK, from August 31, citing rising operating costs and persistent airspace-related challenges that have significantly affected the viability of the route. The airline has announced that prolonged international airspace restrictions have increased flight durations and operating expenses, forcing it to discontinue services on the India-Manchester sector despite healthy passenger demand.
As part of the move, IndiGo will return one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft leased from Norse Atlantic Airways under damp and wet lease arrangements. The carrier, however, said all its other long-haul international operations will continue as scheduled.
The Manchester service was launched using the leased Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as part of IndiGo’s strategy to expand into long-haul international markets ahead of the induction of its own Airbus A350 aircraft. The airline had leased the wide-body jets in early 2025 to accelerate its entry into Europe and strengthen its international network.
IndiGo will continue flying to London Heathrow from Mumbai and Delhi and also to Amsterdam from Mumbai using Norse Atlantic equipment for now.
According to the airline, a combination of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, elevated aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, airspace restrictions and foreign exchange volatility has pushed operating costs well above initial projections.
“We inducted these wide-body aircraft on a short-term basis to fast-track our connectivity to high-potential long-haul destinations such as Manchester and witnessed very encouraging demand response,” said Abhijit Dasgupta, senior vice-president, network planning and revenue management, IndiGo.
He added that extended flying times caused by airspace constraints, coupled with sharply rising costs, had compelled the airline to temporarily withdraw the service. Dasgupta said the suspension should not be viewed as a reflection of demand, reiterating that IndiGo remains committed to its long-haul expansion plans and intends to return to the route when conditions improve.
The development comes as the airline recalibrates capacity deployment across its network. IndiGo has recently reduced domestic departures from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, while increasing international frequencies from hubs such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Much of the additional capacity is being deployed on West Asian routes as regional airspace restrictions gradually ease.