IndiGo Flight Makes 8-Hour U-Turn to Delhi Amid West Asia Airspace Curbs

The airline prioritised safety, citing "last-minute airspace restrictions" as the reason. IndiGo is working with authorities to explore resuming the journey. Passengers' safety and security remain the top priority.

As per the Indigo source, "Due to the evolving situation in and around the Middle East, some of our flights may take longer routes or experience diversions. 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. As always, the safety and security of our customers, crew and aircraft is of utmost importance to us."

IndiGo flight 6E33 (operated by Norse) made a U-turn on the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea and is returning to Delhi. This was the first IndiGo Delhi - Manchester flight since the 26th of Feb, according to Flightradar24, which tracks live flight data.

The flight had taken a longer route over Africa to avoid conflict zones but made a U-turn near the Ethiopia-Eritrea border and headed back to Delhi, landing at around 2:30 PM. This resulted in a 14-hour journey that ended where it began.

Airlines across the region continue to monitor the evolving security situation, with flight operations subject to change based on safety assessments and airspace availability.

Indian carriers, Akasa Air and SpiceJet, have announced continued and additional flight operations to support passenger travel between India and the Gulf region as airlines adapt to disruptions caused by the ongoing West Asia conflict and airspace restrictions in the region.

According to a statement issued by the low-cost carrier SpiceJet, it will operate multiple special flights from Dubai to several Indian cities to ensure smoother connectivity for passengers affected by the situation.

Special services scheduled for Monday, March 9, will operate from Dubai to Pune, Mumbai, and Delhi. On Wednesday, March 11, the airline will operate from Dubai to Pune, Jaipur, Madurai, Calicut, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Mumbai.

Passengers have been advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, as schedules may change depending on operational conditions.

Meanwhile, Akasa Air said that following a comprehensive safety review and assessment of the evolving situation in the Gulf region, the carrier will continue operating select flights between Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and multiple Indian cities until March 31, 2026.

The airline said flights will connect Jeddah with Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi, and Kozhikode, allowing passengers to plan travel.

However, services to Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia remain suspended until March 11, while flights to and from Doha in Qatar and Kuwait remain suspended until March 15."The operation of these flights is based on the prevailing situation and our ongoing safety assessment and may be subject to change," the statement from Akasa Air read.

The carrier also extended its waiver policy for passengers booked to or from the affected cities until March 31, allowing travellers to opt for a full refund or reschedule their flights at no additional cost."Travellers may opt for a full refund, credited to the source of payment within 7 days, or reschedule their travel at no additional cost. If your booking was made through a travel partner, please check directly with them for assistance," the statement added.

Other international carriers have also adjusted operations as the regional situation evolves.SriLankan Airlines said it will resume daily services to Riyadh starting Monday evening and to Dubai from Tuesday, while continuing to monitor the situation closely. The airline will operate to and from Riyadh and Dubai to Colombo.

Meanwhile, Gulf Air said its flights remain temporarily suspended as Bahrain's airspace remains closed, adding that services will resume once authorities confirm it is safe to reopen."Next update: 11:00 BHT (08:00 UTC) on March 10," Gulf Air stated in a statement.

On the other hand, Oman Air today said it has operated nearly 80 additional flights over the past week, helping more than 97,000 passengers return home amid disruptions.

The airline added that most of its international network across Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa continues to operate as scheduled, although some regional routes remain affected by airspace closures."While a limited number of regional routes have been temporarily impacted due to airspace closures, the vast majority of our international network, spanning Europe, South-East Asia, and Africa, is operating as planned, and we continue to add extra frequencies where operationally possible," the statement read.

Airlines across the region continue to monitor the evolving security situation, with flight operations subject to change based on safety assessments and airspace availability.

The development comes amid escalated tensions in West Asia, following the killing of 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on Iran on February 28. The strikes also killed several senior leaders of the Islamic Republic.

In retaliation, Tehran launched counter-strikes targeting American military bases in multiple Arab countries and Israeli assets across the region. Israel, along with the US, continued its strikes on Tehran, with Tel Aviv widening the conflict to Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militant groups.

Earlier on Sunday, Iran's Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, announced the appointment of the late leader's son, 56-year-old cleric Mojtaba Khamenei, to the position.

The leadership transition marks a significant moment in Iran's political history, as Mojtaba Khamenei becomes the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.

- ANI