DELHI — IndiGo, Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic are working together on a partnership to facilitate more connections between India and Europe and North America, with ambitions to grow to a global scale.
IndiGo’s extensive domestic network will be linked with Delta’s strength in North America and the transatlantic, the extensive reach of Air France-KLM in Europe and North America, and the U.K. and transatlantic presence of Virgin Atlantic.
Linking dozens of cities in the U.S., Canada, Europe and India, the airlines aim to meet rising demand for international travel while setting new standards for connectivity and cooperation in global aviation.
Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said the carrier aims to become a global airline by 2030, and says this recent announcement not only expands IndiGo’s relationship with Air France–KLM and Virgin Atlantic but also marks the beginning of a new chapter with Delta as a partner.
“We are particularly excited to start our long-haul expansion from this summer and connect with our partners’ networks to provide greater access to Europe and North America. This strategic partnership enables a compelling combined customer proposition in the form of comprehensive intercontinental connectivity, seamless experience and great loyalty value,” said Elbers.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian, said the agreement “is another example of our commitment to making travel more connected, more inclusive and more accessible,” while Air France-KLM’s CEO Benjamin Smith noted that India is a strategic market for Air France-KLM, “where we have a strong and historic presence soon to increase.”
This year marks Virgin Atlantic’s 25th anniversary of flights into India. Since first launching flights between London Heathrow and Delhi in July 2000, India is now Virgin Atlantic’s third largest market and has grown from zero to one million seats each year, with five flights daily to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Shai Weiss, CEO, Virgin Atlantic, said: “In our 25th year of flying to India, we’re delighted to build on our joint venture with Delta and Air France-KLM, and our successful codeshare with IndiGo, by going further with this partnership. As IndiGo starts long haul operations, we’ll connect four of the world’s largest economies, enhancing the travel experience for our guests, from greater connectivity and optimized flight times to loyalty benefits.”
IndiGo recently announced the start of service to Europe, which, in addition to expanding the existing partnership with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic transatlantic flights, facilitates a new partnership opportunity between IndiGo and Delta.
Down the line, flight connectivity with IndiGo will include …
- KLM flights from Amsterdam to 30 points within Europe
- Virgin Atlantic flights from Manchester to the U.S.
- Delta and KLM flights from Amsterdam to the U.S. and Canada
