IndiGo Announces Major Adjustments to Long-Haul Flight Operations
In a significant move to address external operational challenges, IndiGo has unveiled substantial changes to its long-haul flight schedule. The budget carrier confirmed on Wednesday that it will suspend services to Copenhagen and reduce frequencies on key routes to the United Kingdom. These adjustments come as the airline grapples with uncertainties in Iranian airspace and congestion at various airports.
Route-Specific Changes and Suspensions
Copenhagen Services Suspended: IndiGo will suspend all flights to and from Copenhagen, Denmark, effective February 17. The suspension will remain in place until further notice. Currently, the airline operates three weekly services between Mumbai and Copenhagen, connecting these cities regularly.
Reduced UK Operations: The airline is implementing frequency reductions on two important UK routes:
- Delhi-Manchester: Services will be reduced to four times per week from five times per week starting February 7. A further reduction to three weekly flights will take effect from February 19.
- Delhi-London Heathrow: For the current winter schedule beginning February 9, flights will be cut from five to four per week.
Detailed Flight Schedule Adjustments
The following table outlines the specific changes to IndiGo's UK operations:
Sector: Delhi – Manchester
- Flight No.: 6E 0033
- Days of Operation: Monday, Thursday, Sunday
- Departure: 03:05 (local time)
- Arrival: 09:15 (local time)
Sector: Manchester – Delhi
- Flight No.: 6E 0034
- Days of Operation: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
- Departure: 11:15 (local time)
- Arrival: 03:45 (+1 day, local time)
Sector: Mumbai – Manchester
- Flight No.: 6E 0031
- Days of Operation: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday
- Departure: 03:55 (local time)
- Arrival: 09:15 (local time)
Sector: Manchester – Mumbai
- Flight No.: 6E 0032
- Days of Operation: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday
- Departure: 11:40 (local time)
- Arrival: 03:10 (+1 day, local time)
Sector: Delhi – London Heathrow
- Flight No.: 6E 0003
- Days of Operation: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
- Departure: 09:40 (local time)
- Arrival: 14:55 (local time)
Sector: London Heathrow – Delhi
- Flight No.: 6E 0004
- Days of Operation: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
- Departure: 17:15 (local time)
- Arrival: 08:15 (+1 day, local time)
Operational Challenges Driving Changes
In an official statement, IndiGo explained that its wide-body operations have been facing significant external constraints. These include continuously changing airspace restrictions due to geopolitical circumstances and congestion at airports both in India and abroad. The airline emphasized that these factors have substantially increased flight and block times, creating strain on its Boeing 787-9 schedule, which operates with six wide-body aircraft.
"These measures are being implemented to prevent passenger inconvenience resulting from misconnections and cascading delays," the airline stated. "This scale adjustment was originally planned for introduction in the summer schedule of 2026 but is being executed earlier to ensure reliability for the rest of IndiGo's long-haul operations."
Wide-Body Project and Future Plans
IndiGo launched its wide-body project in March 2025, acquiring six Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways through a damp lease arrangement. According to the airline, this project serves as an intermediate solution for global expansion and acts as a precursor to IndiGo's own Airbus A350-900 wide-body inductions scheduled for early 2028. The initiative aims to gradually upgrade the airline's internal capabilities for future expansion.
The airline confirmed that prevailing circumstances have affected operational reliability on its Boeing 787-9 routes. IndiGo has committed to continuously monitoring these external developments and will flexibly scale its network up or down to align with evolving conditions.
Additional Route Cancellations
In related developments, IndiGo announced on Tuesday that it has extended cancellations for flights to and from Tbilisi (Georgia), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), and Baku (Azerbaijan) until February 28. Previously, services to these cities were cancelled until February 11 due to the evolving situation in Iran.
"As the situation continues to evolve, our plans remain under regular review," the airline stated in a social media post. For these destinations, IndiGo typically flies over Iranian airspace but is currently avoiding the region due to security concerns.
Flights from India to these Central Asian and Caucasian cities generally take six to seven hours. The airline operates these routes with its Airbus A320neo aircraft, which lack the range and fuel-holding capacity to operate on longer alternative routes.
Broader Geopolitical Context
The operational adjustments come amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, with growing apprehensions that the situation could potentially lead to military conflict. These geopolitical uncertainties have created significant challenges for airlines operating in the region.
IndiGo, which operates approximately 2,200 flights daily with a fleet of over 400 aircraft, faced substantial operational disruptions in early December. The current schedule changes represent the airline's proactive approach to maintaining operational reliability while navigating complex external challenges.
