IndiGo flight to Manchester returns to Delhi after 14 hours despite avoiding Gulf
Flight 6E33 was flying over north-eastern Africa bordering Gulf of Aden, to the south of Yemen, when it turned back due to “last-minute airspace restrictions”
Passengers on an IndiGo Delhi-Manchester flight had a harrowing experience on Monday (March 9), as the plane flew back to Delhi after 14 hours after making a U-turn near the Ethiopia-Eritrea border due to “last-minute airspace restrictions”.
Flight 6E33, operated using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, had skirted the conflict-affected Persian Gulf and was flying over north-eastern Africa bordering the Gulf of Aden, to the south of Yemen, when it turned back.
The flight had reportedly taken off from IGI Airport at 12.30 am on Monday and landed back in Delhi at 2.30 pm. This was reportedly the first IndiGo flight to Manchester since February 26.
Also read: Water a bigger concern than oil for Gulf countries as Iran war rages
“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 West Asia. We are working with the relevant authorities to explore the possibilities of resuming the journey,” IndiGo said in a press statement, according to media reports.
According to a report in The Hindu, the plane has been leased out by Norse Atlantic Airways, which comes under the jurisdiction of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which has barred all airlines under it from flying over 11 countries in West Asia because of the Iran conflict.