British carrier Virgin Atlantic on Wednesday announced additional daily direct flights connecting Mumbai to London, which will commence its operation in October 2024.
The West Sussex-headquartered airline is doubling down on its commitment to India’s growing aviation sector by starting additional daily flights connecting India’s financial capital.
Expressing bullish optimism about India’s thriving economy, Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said, “India is thriving… there is an infinite demand.”
During a media roundtable, Weiss unveiled his plans for the airline’s expansion strategy, where he announced the launch of a second daily direct service from London to Mumbai starting October 2024.
Notably, the move comes in the aftermath of Virgin Atlantic’s recent direct flights between London and Bengaluru, which commenced on March 31, with the inaugural flight touching down in the Indian tech hub on April 1.
Virgin Atlantic’s foray in India’s aviation market
With over 24 years of operation in India, Virgin Atlantic considers India as its third-largest market, just behind North America and the Caribbean.
At present, the airline operates two daily flights to London from Delhi, along with single daily flights from Mumbai and Bengaluru. Further, the airlines also operate direct flights from other major states of India including Goa, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, and Kolkata.
Weiss also hinted at potential future collaborations, indicating that Virgin Atlantic is eyeing to expand its codeshare partnership with IndiGo. He also attributed the robust demand in the Indian market, which has notably bolstered after the pandemic, to factors such as competitively priced tickets and the airline’s commitment to delivering superior services to passengers.