British Airways grows in India, as the airline announced a renewed strategic push into the country. As part of a UK government–led trade mission, the airline plans to add capacity and service enhancements. British Airways is framing this move as supporting the “Britain Means Business” mission under Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the recent UK-India Free Trade Agreement.
BA currently operates 56 weekly flights from London to five Indian cities, making India its largest market outside the U.S. (with about 1.5 million annual seats).
New India Service
Subject to regulatory and slot approvals, British Airways will introduce a third daily flight between London Heathrow and Delhi starting in 2026. Additionally, it will reinstate First Class on its London–Mumbai route beginning this month. The carrier also intends to roll out its newest Club Suite business class product across all five Indian routes by end-2026.
Future Opportunities in India
BA positions the expansion in India as part of the larger commercial pacts with rising UK–India trade. The airline views India as a major growth opportunity market, and says it will continue to monitor opportunities for additional capacity and routes. Further, BA points to growing cargo demand for the Indian market, with IAG Cargo volumes growing around 14% over the past few years.
Final Thoughts
It is nice to see British Airways grow in India, one of the fastest growing travel markets in the world. With the airline slot restricted at Heathrow, it would be nice to see the airline add flights out of Gatwick to India. Indigo, a codeshare partner of BA, is launching flights to Heathrow later this year. This may offer even further connectivity opportunities for British Airways customers connecting at London and at Delhi. Very exciting to see travel to/from India expand!
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