International Airlines Like Virgin Atlantic, Emirates & Others Expand Flights To & From India (Find Out Why?)

Airlines are gearing up to return to normal operations as India opens up air travel from March 27.

International airlines such as Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Air Mauritius, Malaysia Air will either resume their flights or increase their frequencies. 

Virgin Atlantic To London And US

Virgin Atlantic announced its “largest ever flying program to India”, and added its second daily on the Delhi – London route beginning June 1.

It will operate a morning and night departure from Delhi and tickets are going on-sale.

From March 27, flights from Mumbai to Heathrow will depart in the afternoon and arrive in London in the evening.

Virgin Atlantic will offer connections between Delhi and the USA via Heathrow along with Delta Air Lines, with some of the US destinations being New York JFK, Boston, Austin, Seattle and Atlanta.

American Airlines 

American Airlines will also expand its presence in India by “deepening its partnership” with IndiGo.

It will launch a new service between Seattle and Bengaluru later this year.

They have been operating daily service between New Delhi and New York (JFK) under the bubble agreements; which will become scheduled operations Sunday onwards.

Air Mauritius

Air Mauritius will increase frequencies to 5 weekly flights between Mumbai and Mauritius from March 27.

Earlier it was running 4 flights a week under bubble arrangements.

Apart from Mumbai, it currently has two direct flights a week on the Delhi – Mauritius route.

Emirates

Emirates will resume pre-pandemic flight frequencies from April 1 and operate 170 weekly flights to nine cities in India.

These include Mumbai (35 weekly flights), New Delhi (28 weekly ones), Bengaluru (24 a week), Chennai (21 a week), Hyderabad (21 a week), Kochi (14 a week), Kolkata (11 a week), Ahmedabad (9 weekly flights) and Thiruvananthapuram (7 weekly flights).

Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines will reinstate scheduled commercial services to India after a suspension of nearly 2 years due to border closures.

The cities it will connect to from March 27 include New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Special Features

Virgin Atlantic will offer flexibility in bookings, allowing customers to change travel dates for free.

The facility will be available till December 31, 2023.

Emirates will offer complimentary chauffeur drive service to the airport and on arrival at select locations to customers travelling in first and business class (from Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi).

Those travelling in premium cabins and Emirates Skywards members in select membership tiers will have access to the lounge experience in Dubai and select airports globally.

Malaysia Airlines will make its Golden Lounge at the Satellite building in KL International Airport operational from April 1 onwards, in anticipation of increased passenger volume.