Earlier today, IndiGo and British Airways announced a new codeshare partnership, adding three routes to the United Kingdom’s flag carrier’s network.

New partnerships

British Airways, the largest airline in the United Kingdom, is joining forces with one of India’s largest carriers, IndiGo. Through the new agreement, IndiGo will add British Airways’ code on its flights to three routes, Thiruvananthapuram, Rajkot, and Vadodara. British Airways already has several weekly flights to five Indian cities and has exceeded its pre-pandemic operations to the Asian country.

Now, passengers from the three cities listed above can travel through to London on one ticket and take advantage of several British Airways services and amenities. From Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, British Airways is deploying its new Club Suite business cabin. Passengers in every cabin on British Airways flights can enjoy a complimentary meal and two checked bags.

“This step to provide seamless connectivity will not only support trade and commerce between the two countries but also offer convenient travel options to students and tourists. With burgeoning demand for international travel, we will continue to enhance international connectivity and remain committed to our promise of providing on-time, affordable, courteous, and hassle-free travel experiences to our customers.” – Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President – Network Planning and Revenue Management, IndiGo

Neil Chernoff, Director of Network and Alliances, British Airways, highlighted the airline’s long-standing presence in India, which will reach the century mark in 2024

“British Airways has been flying to India since 1924, making it one of our longest-served and most valued destinations. Our partnership with IndiGo means that customers will be able to book their entire journey on one ticket, allowing seamless travel all the way from London to their final destination, offering more choice and flexibility for customers.”

Who operates between India and the UK?

As mentioned, British Airways serves five Indian cities. According to Cirium data, the airline has 479 flights scheduled to and from India this month, with Mumbai as its busiest route. There are three daily flights from London Heathrow to Mumbai, on the Boeing 777-200ER, 787-8, and 787-9. The seat offering between London and India surpasses 17,000, one-way. Delhi is served twice daily by British Airways, with the same aircraft type as the Mumbai route.

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai each have daily service from the British carrier. Altogether, British Airways has more than 115,000 seats available on this month’s schedule to India.

Though British Airways has a large operation to India, it is just one of four airlines that connect the United Kingdom. Air India, Vistara, and Virgin Atlantic also fly to India. Between the four carriers, there are 1,183 flights in both directions this month. British Airways does have the largest market share, with more than 40%. Air India is BA’s biggest competitor, with 35% of the share. Virgin Atlantic and Vistara have smaller portions, 15% and 8.5%, respectively.

By next summer, flights between the two nations will increase with service from TUI, which is scheduled to fly to Goa from London Gatwick and Manchester. According to Cirium, 1,211 flights are currently scheduled from the UK to India in June 2024.