IndiGo will suspend its Manchester-Mumbai and Manchester-Delhi flights from 31 August 2026, ending its year-long run as the only airline offering nonstop connections between Manchester and India.
The Indian carrier launched Manchester-Mumbai in July 2025 — its long-haul debut — before adding Manchester-Delhi that November, eventually building up to nine weekly flights between the two countries. IndiGo has confirmed it will contact affected customers directly to arrange a full refund, free rebooking, or travel credit.
IndiGo cited a mix of pressures behind the decision: ongoing international airspace restrictions that have lengthened flight times, rising aviation fuel costs, and foreign exchange volatility. As part of the move, the airline will hand back one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners it had leased from Norse Atlantic Airways to support its long-haul push. IndiGo’s Senior Vice President of Network Planning, Abhijit Dasgupta, said the airline had seen “very encouraging demand” from Manchester but that longer flying times and escalating costs made the route unworkable for now, stressing the suspension is intended to be temporary.
The pause is a blow for the North West’s Indian diaspora — more than 140,000 people of Indian heritage live in the region — and means London becomes the only UK gateway offering nonstop flights to India again, via British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and IndiGo’s own Heathrow-Mumbai service. Travellers will instead need to rely on one-stop options through hubs like Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi or Istanbul.
For airport transfer operators, route suspensions like this are a reminder that international schedules can shift quickly — worth keeping an eye on for anyone relying on a specific route’s passenger flow.
If you need an airport transfer to or from Manchester Airport, Manpool Transfers offers pickups and drop-offs across the region.
Thanks for visiting DM News! If you’ve got a question, a story tip, or anything you’d like to share, head over to DriverMatty.com — I love to hear from you. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out my other websites and social media channels.
Sources:
