LONDON- India and the United Kingdom have updated their air service agreement, allowing airlines from both countries to operate an additional 14 flights per week from London Heathrow (LHR) to Delhi and Mumbai airports.
Representatives from India’s civil aviation ministry and the UK’s Department for Transport (DFT) signed a memorandum of understanding on May 1, reported Hindu BusinessLine.
London and India Flights
The UK’s DFT stated that the revised agreement increases the number of weekly flights between London Heathrow and Delhi and Mumbai from 56 to 70 for both UK and Indian airlines starting this winter season. However, it is up to the airlines to determine the number and timing of these additional flights.
“Approximately 300,000 people travel between India and the UK each month, and the total trade in goods and services between the countries was £39 billion in 2023. We expect this to increase further with more flights, strengthening our relationship with India and boosting business, trade, and tourism,” the DFT said.
The revision benefits UK carriers, which have reached their limit of 56 flights per week, while Indian carriers (Air India and Vistara) currently operate 38 flights per week between London Heathrow and Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM).
Last month, Virgin Atlantic announced a second London-Mumbai service starting at the end of October, anticipating an increase in traffic rights.
Expert Opinion
“Expanding traffic rights between India and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is a logical step and was long overdue. However, slot constraints at Heathrow remain a significant issue,” said Kapil Kaul, CEO of aviation consultancy CAPA India.
Nearly four million passengers traveled between India and the UK in 2023, with Delhi and London Heathrow airports handling most of the traffic between the two countries. Mumbai and London Gatwick airports were second, followed by Manchester and Kochi airports.
In 2023, the largest carriers in the market were Air India (AI), British Airways (BA), Emirates (EK), Virgin Atlantic (VS), and Etihad (EY), with Emirates accounting for nearly ten percent of the traffic.
Air India held about 30 percent of passenger traffic. Air India also flies to Gatwick and Birmingham, primarily serving point-to-point routes, while British Airways and Virgin Atlantic carry a significant amount of onward traffic to the US.
“The UK has always been a favorite destination across business travel, leisure, and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions). Therefore, the revised air services agreement, which increases flights, is positive news for us. The additional capacity between Mumbai and Delhi to Heathrow will help ease current demand-supply constraints and somewhat rationalize airfares on this route,” said Indiver Rastogi, president & group head of global business travel at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel.
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