IndiGo’s Delhi–Manchester flight: A 14-hour journey to nowhere

An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Manchester was forced to turn back after being airborne for nearly eight hours over Ethiopia, even though the plane had completely circled the conflict-affected Persian Gulf region, effectively turning the journey into a 14-hour flight back to where it started.

The airline attributed the deviation to “last minute airspace restrictions”.

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It was the first IndiGo flight to Manchester since February 26, as the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, leased from Norse Atlantic Airways, fell under the jurisdiction of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which banned its carriers from flying to more than 11 countries in West Asia in an advisory issued on February 28 due to air strikes between Israel and Iran.

The Boeing 787 aircraft took off from Delhi at 12.30 on Monday, March 9, 2026. Avoiding the entire Gulf region, it entered Africa via Ethiopia and made a U-turn while flying over Eritrea and began returning to Delhi. He landed in Delhi at 14.30.

“Our flight 6E 033 from Delhi to Manchester had to return to its point of origin due to last-minute airspace restrictions due to the ongoing situation in West Asia. We are working with the relevant authorities to explore the possibilities of resuming the journey,” IndiGo said in a press release.

The episode underscores the risks of operating long-haul flights at a time when conflict has disrupted one of aviation’s most critical corridors between Europe and Asia, and highlights the complex operational challenges airlines face when navigating amid rapidly changing airspace restrictions.

For passengers, this disruption could translate into flight cancellations, diversions or significantly longer travel times, longer waits at airports, and a high degree of uncertainty around departures and arrivals as airlines are forced to change routes in response to evolving airspace advisories.