IndiGo suspends Manchester flights as airspace restrictions push up costs

IndiGo has suspended all flights from Manchester Airport, ending its nonstop links to Mumbai and Delhi. India’s largest airline stopped flying from Manchester on 31 August 2026. 

The airline first announced the decision in June, citing longer flight times due to ongoing international airspace restrictions and a challenging cost environment amid the conflict in Iran.

“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 stated.

IndiGo has described the suspension as temporary and said passenger demand for the routes had been “very encouraging.”

Manchester was a “high potential” destination

IndiGo launched its first Manchester service in July 2025 as part of a major expansion into long-haul international flying.

The airline operated the routes with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners supplied by Norse Atlantic Airways under a damp-lease arrangement.

However, IndiGo said geopolitical developments in the Middle East, higher aviation turbine fuel prices, foreign exchange volatility and severe airspace restrictions had pushed costs “considerably higher than originally envisaged.”

Abhijit Dasgupta, IndiGo’s Senior Vice President – Network Planning & Revenue Management, said the decision did not reflect a lack of passenger demand.

“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,” Dasgupta said.

“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.”

IndiGo said it would return one of its six leased Boeing 787-9s to Norse following the suspension of service to Manchester.

Dasgupta added that IndiGo still saw potential in the market.

“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 said. “We look forward to serving this route again at the earliest viable opportunity.”

Manchester was IndiGo’s first long-haul destination

The airline launched Mumbai-Manchester on 1 July 2025, with Manchester as its first long-haul destination.

At the time, Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said, “This route makes us the only Northern airport with a direct connection to India and cements our position as one of Europe’s best-connected airports. It will link the region to the world’s fastest growing economy, opening up even stronger trade and investment opportunities.

“It will connect half a million people with Indian heritage who live in Manchester Airport’s catchment area to family and friends, and it will capitalise on the wide-ranging cultural and economic ties that exist.”

The airline initially operated three flights per week with the leased 787-9s before increasing the service to four weekly flights.

Manchester Airport said that thousands of passengers had used the route in its first months. The airport cited research from Metro-Dynamics on the economic benefits of the increased frequency. The firm found that, among other gains, the services would:

• Likely support a £32.9m increase in exports from the region to India
• Create around 250 jobs, including direct, supply chain and wider supporting roles
• Drive £12.1m of economic value annually to the North 

IndiGo expanded its Manchester operation further on 15 November 2025 with the launch of five weekly flights from Delhi.

The addition gave the airline nine weekly services between Manchester and India: four from Mumbai and five from Delhi.

IndiGo reduced Manchester flights earlier this year

Despite the route’s promise, signs of pressure on the airline’s long-haul operation emerged earlier this year. 

In February, IndiGo reduced its Manchester schedule as part of changes designed to improve its operational resilience.

IndiGo cut Delhi-Manchester service from five flights per week to four as of 7 February. 

It then further reduced services to three weekly flights from 19 February. Mumbai remained at four weekly flights, reducing IndiGo’s total Manchester schedule from nine to seven services per week.

The airline said changing geopolitical circumstances and airspace restrictions had increased flight and block times. IndiGo also indicated that airport congestion put added pressure on its widebody schedule.

The carrier suspended its Copenhagen service as part of the changes.

IndiGo prepares for transition to its own A350 fleet

The Manchester suspension also comes as IndiGo changes how it operates its growing long-haul network.

The airline used six Norse Atlantic 787-9s as an interim measure while waiting for its own long-haul aircraft.

IndiGo announced on 31 July that it would end operations with the damp-leased 787s from 25 October, concluding its agreement with Norse on 31 October.

The Mumbai-Amsterdam service will operate on the Airbus A321XLR. London Heathrow service will be temporarily suspended pending the introduction of IndiGo’s Airbus A350-900s.

IndiGo has 60 Airbus A350-900s on firm order, with deliveries due to begin in 2027, and options for an additional 40 A350-family aircraft.

For Manchester, the future of the routes will depend on aircraft availability and whether the operating environment makes the services economically viable again.