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Manchester-bound IndiGo flight makes mid-air U-turn; lands back in Delhi
09 Mar 2026

An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Manchester made an unexpected mid-air U-turn on Monday after flying for about seven hours.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, had taken off from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and was headed for the United Kingdom.

However, it turned back near the airspace close to the Ethiopia border before re-entering Indian airspace.

No official explanation has been provided
Unexplained diversion

The decision was taken due to last-minute airspace restrictions related to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

According to FlightRadar, this was the first IndiGo Delhi-Manchester flight since February 26.

It said the aircraft had taken an unusual southern route through the Gulf of Aden and parts of Africa, avoiding much of the Middle Eastern airspace.

IndiGo commenced direct flights between Delhi and Manchester in November, following the successful launch of its first-ever long-haul service connecting Mumbai and Manchester.

Airline is coordinating with authorities
Airline

An IndiGo spokesperson said, "Due to the evolving situation in and around the Middle East, some of our flights may take longer routes or experience diversions."

The airline is now coordinating with authorities to see if the journey can be resumed.

The Delhi-Manchester route is about 6,829km long and usually takes around 11 hours depending on weather conditions and routing.