Airline stops flights to Manchester airport due to costs

The service has been put on hold from August 31 due to mounting operational costs and international airspace restrictions, prompting the airline to temporarily discontinue its Manchester route to and from India.

Abhijit Dasgupta, senior vice president of network planning and revenue management at 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 we 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 Airport services.

“We’d 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.”

IndiGo said the decision was influenced by rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, airspace restrictions resulting from ongoing geopolitical issues in the Middle East, and foreign exchange volatility which has significantly increased operating expenses.

Flights on all other long-haul routes will continue as scheduled.

Passengers affected by the suspension will be notified in advance and given support to arrange alternative travel or request refunds where eligible.

IndiGo has also confirmed it will return one of its six leased Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to Norse Atlantic Airways, following an agreement made last year to help expand the airline’s presence in the European market.