IndiGo's Manchester flight returns to Delhi due to airspace curbs
New Delhi (PTI): A Manchester-bound IndiGo flight, operated with a leased Boeing 787 aircraft, returned to the national capital on Monday due to certain restrictions when the plane was to enter the Eritrea airspace, according to sources.
"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," IndiGo said in a statement.
The source said that there were some approval issues with Eritrean authorities, and after a risk assessment, it was decided that the flight will return to Delhi.
Eritrea is an African country.
The airline is operating its flights to European cities and London, except for Athens, with Boeing 787-9 planes leased from Norway's Norse Atlantic Airways.
In the wake of the Middle East conflict, regulator EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) has barred aircraft, including those of Norse Atlantic, registered with it from using certain airspaces in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.
As a result, IndiGo is now taking the longer flight route through Africa to enter Europe.
For the European flights, the airline flies over the Arabian Sea, Ethiopia, Eritrea, the Red Sea and Egypt before entering Europe.
Meanwhile, the flights to Athens are operated with IndiGo's A321 XLR planes.
Generally, Indian carriers use the airspaces in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, to operate flights to Europe.
IndiGo, in the statement, also said that due to the evolving situation in and around the Middle East, some of its flights may take longer routes or experience diversions.
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SP has ended contract with I-PAC due to fund constraints: Akhilesh Yadav
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said his party has severed its association with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) due to a lack of funds.
He dismissed speculations that the termination of contract was because of recent election results.
Addressing a press conference here, Yadav said the party had engaged I-PAC for a brief period ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections but could not continue the arrangement.
"Yes, we had an association. They worked with us for a few months, but we are not able to continue because we do not have that kind of funding," he said.
The I-PAC is a political consultancy firm known for managing major election campaigns across the country.
Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has also been associated with the organisation in the past and has worked with multiple parties, including the BJP and the Congress.
In a lighter vein, Yadav took a swipe at the ecosystem of political consultancies. "We thought that if we have to work with a 'winning agency', then there are several big companies."
He said that some people suggested conducting surveys, hiring another firm, keeping a social media company, and even engaging agencies for negative campaigning against other parties.
"There are one or two more companies whose names are not yet known. I can get those for you as well," Yadav said.
Yadav rejected the suggestion that the decision to end the deal was influenced by recent election outcomes in states such as West Bengal.
"There is no such thing. Do not ask questions based on baseless reports. That is not true," he said.
"This is not the reason for ending the agreement. We simply do not have enough funds. If you (the media) give us funds, we can hire another company," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.
