As IndiGo heads to London Heathrow, Air India plans to fortify with more flights between India – London (and others too!)

India – London is one of the densest markets for international travel, with every airline treating it as a flagship route and wanting to fly to London Heathrow. So, needless to say, it was cosy when it was just the Tata Group Airlines (Air India and Vistara, since merged), British Airways and Virgin Atlantic on the prime routes such as DEL/BOM/BLR – LHR.

And then, IndiGo will arrive on the scene in a few days, with its planned launch of daily Mumbai-London Heathrow flights on October 26, 2025. The airline has leased 787 planes from Norse Atlantic for the mission and slots from Virgin Atlantic. With London Heathrow slots a hard-to-find commodity and DEL/BOM-LHR slots controlled by bilateral agreements between the two countries, other airlines have also announced plans and introduced flights to strengthen their positions on these key routes. It is also reported that Air India is seeking lounge space at London Heathrow.

Air India to go 4X on DEL – LHR on October 26, 2025

Air India has announced an expansion of its services to the United Kingdom as part of its Northern Winter 2025 schedule, adding a fourth daily flight between Delhi and London Heathrow, effective October 26, 2025. With the added daily frequency, Air India will operate two daily flights on the route with its Airbus A350-900 aircraft and two daily flights with its Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

This ensures the consistent availability of Air India’s best widebody cabin products on flights between Delhi and London, with both aircraft types offering three cabin classes: Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. The additional flight increases Air India’s frequency from 24x weekly to 28x weekly this Winter.

This move will enhance Air India’s market position. Air India is the largest carrier between India and the UK, operating 61 flights per week (in one direction). Air India connects five Indian cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Amritsar) to three points in the UK: London (Heathrow), London (Gatwick), and Birmingham.

The expanded operations include the optimisation of services on other UK routes, some of which were temporarily adjusted due to operational considerations:

• Mumbai-London (Heathrow): Continues to operate double daily or 14x weekly
• Bengaluru-London (Heathrow): Reinstatement of 3x weekly flights previously curtailed, bringing the service back to a 7x weekly operation
• Ahmedabad-London (Gatwick): Services on this route were temporarily relocated to London (Heathrow) in July 2025, which now return to London (Gatwick), operating 3x weekly
• Amritsar-London (Gatwick): Restored to operate 3x weekly
• Delhi-Birmingham: Restored to operate 3x weekly
• Amritsar-Birmingham: Will continue to operate 3x weekly

Air India has leased the slot for this fourth flight from Middle Eastern Airlines

Air Canada will resume flying between Mumbai and London Heathrow on October 26, 2025

Air Canada will resume their daily one-stop service between Toronto and Mumbai from October 26, 2025, to March 28, 2026. Their flights will utilise a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and offer three classes of service: Economy, Premium Economy, and Air Canada Signature Class. This flight used to operate as a one-stop flight until February 2024.

This London–Mumbai route is a “fifth freedom” flight, meaning it is a segment of Air Canada’s Toronto–London–Mumbai service, which is allowed to pick up passengers in London for the onward journey to Mumbai and on the return leg too. This resumption route will replace the previous London-Delhi route, and the nonstop Toronto-Mumbai route will be discontinued.

British Airways will add 3rd frequency between Delhi and London Heathrow in September 2026

British Airways will introduce a third daily flight between London Heathrow and Delhi in 2026, it announced recently, when a trade mission from the UK flew to Mumbai earlier in October 2025. The third flight is scheduled to operate on a Boeing 787-8 and launch on September 19, 2026, according to AeroRoutes.

In addition to a third daily flight between London Heathrow and Delhi, the popular First cabin will return on flights to Mumbai this month, with the latest business class Club Suite on select flights across all five Indian routes by the end of 2026.

Bottomline

Airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, are in the fray to get more of the market share of India-UK traffic, and even Air Canada has thrown their hat in the ring. Air India is expanding its flights between Delhi and London Heathrow, while IndiGo will launch a new flight between London Heathrow and Mumbai. British Airways will join the party next year and will increase the premium cabin on its existing flights in the meantime.

Who do you think is the eventual winner in this contest for India-UK traffic?

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