IndiGo's Manchester Flight Makes U-Turn Over Africa After 13 Hours
In a bizarre aviation incident, an IndiGo flight bound for Manchester was forced to return to Delhi after flying for over 13 hours due to a call sign confusion. The flight, which took off at 1:14 am on Monday, landed back in Delhi at 2:22 pm, covering a significant distance only to turn back over African airspace.
Root Cause: Wet-Leased Aircraft and Call Sign Mix-Up
The aircraft operating the route was a wet-leased Boeing 787 from Norse Atlantic, an EU carrier, which had received the necessary clearances. However, the confusion arose when air traffic control in Eritrea encountered issues with the call sign. The flight was operating under IndiGo's code "iFly," but this led to misunderstandings in the airspace, ultimately prompting the aircraft to make a U-turn and head back to its origin.
IndiGo has clarified that all required enroute clearances were in place, describing the incident as a costly confusion rather than a regulatory failure. The airline emphasized that safety protocols were followed throughout the ordeal.
Background: EASA Directives and Route Changes
Norse Atlantic, adhering to the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) bulletin, is completely avoiding West Asian airspace due to ongoing conflicts. Unlike other carriers such as Air India, which overfly Saudi Arabia on routes to Europe, the UK, and North America, Norse Atlantic has resumed its Europe flights for IndiGo only after February 28, taking a longer route via Africa.
This alternative path involves flying to Africa and then proceeding to Europe from the Eritrea side, with a similar route on the return journey. However, this extra-long route is creating operational challenges. For instance, an IndiGo flight from London to Mumbai on Sunday diverted to Cairo and is expected to complete its journey on Tuesday.
Air India conducted a payload analysis for this oceanic route bypassing West Asia and found it unviable, highlighting the complexities airlines face in navigating current airspace restrictions.
IndiGo's Official Statement
Regarding Monday's incident, IndiGo issued a statement explaining: "Due to the evolving situation in and around West Asia, some of our flights may take longer routes or experience diversions. Our flight 6E 33, 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. As always, safety and security of our customers, crew and aircraft is of utmost importance to us."
EASA's Conflict Zone Bulletin
The EASA has issued a "conflict zone information bulletin" advising airlines not to operate within affected airspaces at all flight levels and altitudes. The restricted areas include the airspaces of:
- Bahrain
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Qatar
- UAE
- Saudi Arabia
This directive is part of broader efforts to ensure aviation safety amid regional tensions, but it has led to significant disruptions and longer flight paths for airlines like IndiGo operating wet-leased aircraft from EU carriers.
