While IndiGo’s Sunday flights operated normally, a confusion over overflight permission disrupted travel plans of travellers on Monday
A Manchester-bound IndiGo flight returned to Delhi after over seven hours in air and another aircraft diverted to after being denied overflight permission by air traffic control in Eritrea.
IndiGo restarted its widebody flights to Amsterdam, Manchester and London on Sunday after a seven-day gap. These flights are operated by Boeing 787 planes leased from Norwegian airline Norse Atlantic. These avoid Gulf airspace in line with European Aviation Safety Agency recommendations.
While IndiGo’s Sunday flights operated normally, a confusion over overflight permission disrupted travel plans of travellers on Monday. The aircraft operating Delhi-Manchester flight returned after flying Ethiopia, while a London-Delhi route diverted to Cairo.
IndiGo said the Manchester-bound aircraft returned to Delhi due to last-minute airspace restrictions. “We are working with relevant authorities to explore the possibilities of resuming the journey,” IndiGo said.
repatriation
Around 90,000 passengers have returned to India following partial resumption of air services. While Jeddah, Muscat and the UAE airports have been functioning, the first scheduled flight from Doha arrived in Delhi on Monday. On Tuesday, Qatar Airways plans to operate flights to Kochi, Delhi and Mumbai.
Meanwhile, responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Monday that DGCA has engaged with all airlines and that multiple meetings have been held to ensure safe operations. All possible steps are being for the repatriation of stranded passengers, he added.
Published on March 9, 2026
