NEW DELHI: Following Air India's lead, IndiGo is also scaling back its wide-body operations due to rising jet fuel costs, longer routes caused by airspace restrictions, and foreign exchange volatility. The budget carrier will temporarily suspend its flight operations to and from Manchester starting August 31, 2026, and will return one of its six damp-leased Boeing 787 Dreamliners to Europe's Norse Atlantic Airways. IndiGo stated that it will continue to operate all other long-haul flights as planned.
Background on IndiGo's Wide-Body Operations
IndiGo had damp-leased six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Norse Atlantic in early 2025 to strategically establish the IndiGo brand in the European market ahead of deploying its own Airbus A350 aircraft. However, the increase in operating costs following the US-Iran war has made these operations considerably more expensive than originally anticipated.
Official Statement from IndiGo
Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President of Network Planning and Revenue Management at IndiGo, commented: "We inducted these wide-body aircraft on a short-term basis to fast-track connectivity to high-potential long-haul destinations like Manchester, and we witnessed very encouraging demand. Unfortunately, longer flying times due to airspace constraints and dramatically escalating costs have compelled us to temporarily discontinue our India-Manchester services. This discontinuation is temporary in nature."
Industry-Wide Impact
Air India has also been significantly reducing its wide-body operations for similar reasons. Both Air India and IndiGo are additionally cutting domestic flights temporarily to manage costs.
