NEW DELHI ,9 March 2026 : An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Manchester was forced to turn back mid-air and is returning to the national capital after flying for about seven hours, following last-minute airspace restrictions linked to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
IndiGo flight 6E33, operated by Norse, made a U-turn near the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea and is now heading back to Delhi, according to the flight tracking service Flightradar24.
The aircraft had departed from the Indian capital early Monday morning for the UK city, making it IndiGo’s first Delhi-Manchester flight since February 26. The long-haul route had resumed after a gap, with the flight expected to cover the distance in around 11 hours under normal conditions.
Flight tracking data shows the aircraft turned around after flying for nearly seven hours, despite taking a route designed to avoid the active conflict zones in West Asia.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft had followed an unusual southern routing via the Gulf of Aden and parts of Africa, bypassing much of the Middle Eastern airspace amid heightened Iran-Israel tensions in the region.
The diversion occurred even though the aircraft had completely skirted the active conflict zones, highlighting the impact of rapidly changing airspace restrictions across parts of West Asia.
In a statement, an IndiGo spokesperson said the airline had to take the decision after last-minute airspace restrictions were imposed.
“Due to the evolving situation in and around the Middle East, some of our flights may take longer routes or experience diversions. 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,” the spokesperson said.
The airline said it is currently working with authorities to determine whether the journey can resume. “We are working with the relevant authorities to explore the possibilities of resuming the journey. As always, safety and security of our customers, crew and aircraft is of utmost importance to us,” the spokesperson added.
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