New Delhi, March 9 An IndiGo flight bound for Manchester, operated with a leased Boeing 787 aircraft, returned to the national capital on Monday due to certain restrictions when the plane was about to enter the airspace of Eritrea, according to sources.
"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 the Middle East. We are working with the relevant authorities to explore the possibilities of resuming the journey," IndiGo said in a statement.
The source said that there were some approval issues with Eritrean authorities, and after a risk assessment, it was decided that the flight will return to Delhi.
Eritrea is an African country.
The airline is operating its flights to European cities and London, except for Athens, with Boeing 787-9 planes leased from Norse Atlantic Airways of Norway.
In the wake of the Middle East conflict, the regulator EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) has barred aircraft, including those of Norse Atlantic, registered with it, from using certain airspaces in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.
As a result, IndiGo is now taking the longer flight route through Africa to enter Europe.
For the European flights, the airline flies over the Arabian Sea, Ethiopia, Eritrea, the Red Sea, and Egypt before entering Europe.
Meanwhile, the flights to Athens are operated with IndiGo's A321 XLR planes.
Generally, Indian carriers use the airspaces in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, to operate flights to Europe.
In the statement, IndiGo also said that due to the evolving situation in and around the Middle East, some of its flights may take longer routes or experience diversions.