New Delhi, June 2 (HS): Low-cost carrier IndiGo has announced that it will temporarily discontinue its flights to and from Manchester in the United Kingdom with effect from August 31, citing increased operating costs and continuing international airspace constraints.

The airline said prolonged flight durations caused by airspace restrictions, coupled with a challenging cost environment, have made the route commercially unviable at present. As part of the move, IndiGo will return one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft leased from Norse Atlantic Airways.

IndiGo had leased the wide-body aircraft in early 2025 as part of its strategy to expand into the European market ahead of the induction of its own Airbus A350 aircraft. However, the airline said geopolitical developments in the Middle East, rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, severe airspace constraints and foreign exchange volatility have significantly increased operational costs beyond initial projections.

Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management at IndiGo, said the Manchester route had received encouraging demand from travellers. He described the suspension as temporary and expressed confidence in the airline's long-haul growth plans.

"We witnessed very encouraging demand response. It is 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 services," Dasgupta said.

The airline said it would notify affected passengers in advance and offer assistance through alternate travel arrangements or refunds, wherever applicable. IndiGo clarified that all its other long-haul international services would continue to operate as scheduled.

The airline currently operates a fleet of more than 400 aircraft and connects over 95 domestic and 40 international destinations.