IndiGo, India’s largest low-cost domestic airline, is set to expand its international footprint with the launch of direct, long-haul flights to Manchester, UK, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, by July 2025. This marks the airline’s entry into the long-haul market, utilising the wide-bodied Boeing 787-9 aircraft leased from Norse Atlantic Airways.

The announcement, made on March 8, 2025, positions IndiGo as the sole Indian carrier offering direct flights to Manchester. Currently, Air India is the only Indian airline operating direct routes to Europe.

IndiGo set to launch long-haul flights to Manchester and Amsterdam

IndiGo, a low-cost budget airline, has become the largest airline in India. However, it has not yet operated direct flights to the West. Instead, IndiGo offers one-stop connections to Europe from Delhi and Mumbai through a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines. This partnership allows passengers to have a layover in Istanbul, enabling them to reach 35 destinations across the US and Europe.

IndiGo is preparing to launch non-stop long-haul flights to Europe, starting with Manchester and Amsterdam by July 2025, pending operational preparations and regulatory approvals.

The airline plans to operate three weekly flights to each destination; the origin cities within India for these flights have yet to be disclosed. One of Norse Atlantic‘s Boeing 787-9 aircraft, currently serving the Delhi-Bangkok route, will be redeployed, and three additional leased aircraft will join the fleet for these new European routes.

As part of their internationalisation strategy, the airlines are set to receive A321 XLRS aircraft by 2025-26 and A350s by 2027. However, they are not waiting for these new aircraft to enter the long-haul market; they have already begun operations using damp-leased planes.

(Feature image credit: Adrien Olichon/Unsplash)

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The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.

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