India's largest airline, IndiGo, has announced the temporary suspension of its flights connecting Mumbai and Delhi with Manchester from August 31, citing ongoing airspace restrictions and a sharp increase in operating costs.
The airline said geopolitical tensions and continued restrictions on international flight paths have significantly disrupted long-haul operations, forcing carriers to take longer routes and increasing flight durations.
As a direct consequence of the suspension, IndiGo will return one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft currently being operated under a wet lease arrangement from Norse Atlantic Airways. The airline clarified that all its other long-haul international services will continue to operate as scheduled.
IndiGo had launched services to the United Kingdom earlier this year after leasing six wide-body Dreamliners from Norse Atlantic Airways as part of its international expansion strategy. The carrier had also introduced new routes to Amsterdam, Athens and Istanbul using Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
According to the airline, soaring aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, volatile foreign exchange rates and longer flight times caused by airspace restrictions have made operations on the Manchester route financially challenging.
Despite receiving encouraging demand on the route, the airline said the increased operational burden had necessitated the temporary suspension of services.
The move comes amid wider challenges for the aviation sector. Earlier this year, Air India also announced reductions in some international and domestic services as airlines grapple with rising fuel costs and operational pressures.
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