Virgin Atlantic launches new India routes flying from Manchester

Virgin Atlantic will be launching services to Delhi and Mumbai from Manchester as the airline ramps up flying from its home in the North.

Flying three times a week from Manchester to Mumbai beginning on December 19, and twice weekly to Delhi starting on January 5, these new services will go on sale on October 20.

With more than 16 million Indians living outside their country and 500,000 living across the North of England, India has the world’s largest diaspora.

These new services will open up more than 130,000 seats between Manchester and India and aim to respond to the large, fast-growing demand to visit friends and relatives as well as capturing demand for business and leisure travel to the region as global economies gradually recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As well as flying customers, Virgin Atlantic will offer a fast, efficient cargo service presenting new opportunities for companies looking to export and import goods such as fresh produce, pharmaceuticals and textiles between prime markets in the UK, US and India.

Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re delighted to launch new flying from our home in the North in Manchester. India boasts the largest foreign-born population in the UK and we’re anticipating that post COVID-19, the demand to travel home to visit loved ones will increase.

“Following the relaunch of services from Heathrow to Mumbai and Delhi in September 2020, these new services from Manchester represent our continued investment in India.

“Both Mumbai and Delhi are popular year-round destinations, and we look forward to welcoming travellers from the North and Midlands onboard as demand for leisure and business travel gradually increases to the region.”

Andrew Cowan, Manchester Airports Group chief operating officer and chair of Manchester India Partnership, said: “Securing direct services to two major Indian cities will unlock a wide range of benefits to the whole of the North.

“I am sure the routes will prove popular with the more than 500,000 people of Indian origin living across the region, while helping to further strengthen trade and cultural ties in both directions.

“It is pleasing to see Virgin Atlantic make a further commitment to the North, following the recent announcement of its new service to Pakistan and building on the success of its routes to America and the Caribbean in recent years.

“This news is testament to the hard work done to establish closer links between the region and India through the Manchester India Partnership, especially in the fields of education, healthcare, tourism, business and sport.

“I look forward to launching these new, strategically important routes this Winter. Customers can be reassured that both Manchester Airport and Virgin Atlantic have all the measures in place to ensure they are kept safe and secure at all stages of their journey.”

Virgin Atlantic looks forward to resuming its Manchester to Barbados service on October 26, followed by its first flight from Manchester to Islamabad launching on December 10.