IndiGo's Delhi-Manchester flight makes a u-turn over Africa; London-Mumbai diverted: Airline explains why
IndiGo flight 6E 033 from New Delhi to Manchester turned around near Ethiopia-Eritrea border, as per tracking data.
Updated on: Mar 09, 2026 9:26 PM IST
A Manchester-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi had to return to the national capital on Monday after it was denied entry into Eritrean airspace, forcing the airline to turn the aircraft back mid-journey, the airline said in a statement.
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"Our flight 6E 033 operating from Delhi to Manchester had to return to its origin due to last-minute airspace restrictions, owing 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 statement.
The flight was being operated with a Boeing 787-9 leased from Norway-based Norse Atlantic Airways under a wet lease arrangement.
The disruption also affected another service operating on the same route.
Flight 6E 75E from London Heathrow to Mumbai was diverted to Cairo after it too encountered issues while attempting to enter Eritrean airspace, located in the eastern tip of Africa.
The airline has recently begun operating several long-haul services to Europe and the United Kingdom using the leased aircraft.
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The routing of these Europe-bound flights was altered amid the evolving situation in West Asia. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) advised aircraft registered under it, including those of Norse Atlantic Airways, to avoid a few airspaces in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.
Indian carriers typically use Middle Eastern airspace, including Saudi Arabia, while operating flights to Europe. However, due to the restrictions, the flights are currently taking a longer route via Africa.
Under the revised routing, aircraft depart India over the Arabian Sea before flying across Ethiopia and Eritrea, crossing the Red Sea and Egypt before entering Europe.
People familiar with the development said the issue on Monday arose due to confusion among air traffic control authorities over the aircraft operating under two airline identifiers.
"While the flights operate under the IndiGo call sign, the aircraft belongs to Norse Atlantic Airways. Air traffic control authorities in one of the jurisdictions were unable to get clarity on the reason for the Norse Atlantic aircraft flying in IndiGo call sign, leading to the aircraft being denied entry into Eritrean airspace," an official aware of the matter said.
"The airline clarified the operational arrangement to the authorities but it couldn't be resolved immediately. Later the Indian authorities Eritrean authorities suggested including details of the wet lease operation under Item 18 of the ATS flight plan, after which the issue was resolved," a ministry official confirmed.
When asked about the London-Mumbai flight that had to be diverted to Cairo, another official said, "Despite the issue being resolved, the flight to Mumbai triggered flight duty time limitations (FDTL) for the crew, which forced the passengers to remain in Cairo for the day."
"Passengers were provided accommodation as the flight is now likely to operate tomorrow," he added.
