An IndiGo flight travelling from London to Mumbai was forced to divert to Cairo, Egypt, because of airspace restrictions linked to the evolving security situation in the Middle East. The aircraft, carrying more than 300 Indian passengers, remained grounded at Cairo International Airport for several hours following the unscheduled landing.
Flight 6E2 departed London’s Heathrow Airport at 9:33 pm UTC on March 8, which corresponds to 3:03 am IST on March 9, according to flight tracking data. After initially proceeding southeast across Europe, the aircraft entered Egyptian airspace and continued toward the Red Sea. Midway through the journey, it altered its course, made a U-turn over the Red Sea region, and then redirected northward before landing in Cairo at approximately 6:21 am UTC (11:51 am IST).
Passengers and relatives raised concerns on social media after noticing that the aircraft had not reached Mumbai and was instead stationed in Cairo. Responding to queries online, IndiGo confirmed that the diversion was necessitated by airspace restrictions and assured passengers that assistance would be provided as needed.
The incident occurred amid broader disruptions to global aviation routes caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has led to temporary airspace closures and safety-driven rerouting of flights. Earlier the same day, another IndiGo service operating from Delhi to Manchester had to return to Delhi after facing restrictions while attempting to enter Eritrean airspace.
IndiGo stated that the rapidly changing situation in and around the Middle East may lead to longer flight paths or diversions depending on operational safety assessments and airspace availability. Aviation data also indicates the scale of the disruption, with around 100 international flights cancelled at Delhi and Mumbai airports on March 7 as airlines adjusted schedules and routes.
Airlines worldwide have been compelled to avoid certain conflict-affected airspaces and adopt alternative paths. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has restricted EU-registered aircraft from flying through specific Middle Eastern zones, including Saudi Arabian airspace, complicating several India–Europe long-haul routes. As a result, carriers such as IndiGo have increasingly rerouted flights through parts of Africa to maintain operations while ensuring passenger safety.
