India air routes open up

Travel Trade Gazette UK & Ireland, September, 2004

A long-awaited expansion of flights between the UK and India should see the number of non-stop services double within 12 months.

British airlines are to be allowed to increase the number of routes they offer to India from the current 19 to 40. In return, Air India has been given rights for a similar expansion.

The deal will allow British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to offer more destinations from Heathrow. BMI is also weighing up whether to fly to India, possibly from Manchester, which lacks a direct scheduled route.

It is estimated that half of passengers from the UK to Delhi and Mumbai (formerly Bombay) have to travel via another country. And there are few direct services to other cities.

At present, UK carriers can fly direct to Delhi,...