IndiGo to suspend these flights from August 31

Airline cites airspace constraints, longer flight durations and rising operating costs for the temporary suspension.

IndiGo is having to temporarily discontinue its flight operations to and from Manchester with effect from 31 August 2026. Consequent to this decision, the airline plans to return one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, taken on damp / wet lease, to Norse Atlantic Airways. IndiGo will continue to operate all its remaining long-haul flights as planned.

Background

IndiGo damp leased six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways in early 2025 as part of its plans to expand long-haul operations and strengthen its presence in the European market ahead of the arrival of its Airbus A350 fleet. The airline said industry-wide challenges, including geopolitical developments, higher aviation fuel costs, airspace restrictions and foreign exchange volatility, have increased operating costs.

Executive Comment

Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President – Network Planning & Revenue Management, IndiGo, said, “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. It is, therefore, 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. 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. We look forward to serving this route again at the earliest viable opportunity and are exploring innovative solutions to continuing our collaboration with Norse Atlantic Airways.”