2 IndiGo flights hit by Eritrea airspace denial

An IndiGo flight headed from Delhi to Manchester returned to the national capital after being denied entry into Eritrean airspace, the carrier said in a statement, amid confusion over air traffic routes blocked off due to the war in West Asia.

- Neha LM Tripathi [e-mail]

Hours later, an IndiGo aircraft flying from London Heathrow to Mumbai was diverted to Cairo after a similar rejection by the African nation’s air traffic controllers.

IndiGo said in a statement that it was “working with relevant authorities to explore the possibilities of resuming the journey”.

Both flights were being operated with Boeing 787-9s leased from Norway-based Norse Atlantic Airways under a “wet-lease” — an arrangement where one airline rents aircraft to another, along with crew, maintenance and insurance.