The service between Manchester Airport and Delhi was announced at the start of a trade mission to India led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
It will be operated by India’s biggest airline IndiGo, and has been tipped to accelerate the benefits of the new UK-India trade deal by helping businesses across the North export to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
The news comes just months after IndiGo picked Manchester for its first ever long-haul route into Europe, launching flights to Mumbai.
It means that, from November, there will be nine direct flights a week between the North and India, with Manchester Airport being the only outside London to have services to both Mumbai and Delhi.
They will all operate from Manchester’s state-of-the-art £1.3bn Terminal 2, which has been delivered through its historic 10-year Transformation Programme, unlocking the capacity of its existing two full-length runways.
Research from economic consultancy Metro Dynamics forecasts the two routes will deliver a major economic boost, including:
- Increased exports worth more than £33.5m a year
- More than £26m a year of extra tourism income from Indian visitors
- around 500 new jobs – supporting £24.2m of extra GVA to the North
- more than £26m of productivity savings for businesses across the North each year
- significant increases in innovation and research collaboration between the North and India
It will also be of huge benefit to the substantial Indian diaspora living in Manchester Airport’s catchment area, who currently have to suffer the cost and inconvenience of connecting flights when travelling home to visit friends and family.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“This new direct route between Manchester and Delhi is a powerful example of our plan for change in action—unlocking new opportunities for businesses, creating hundreds of jobs, and driving growth. I’m proud to see Manchester Airport leading the way in delivering the benefits of our new UK-India trade deal to communities across the North.”
Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe has joined the Prime Minister and a delegation of senior business figures from across UK on the four-day mission to India.
He said: “We are proud to connect the North to the world and today’s announcement means people and businesses across the region will now have direct access to both India’s financial centre and its capital.
“That will drive tens of millions of pounds in economic value every year, supporting the Government’s growth agenda and boosting the benefits of the new UK-India trade deal.
“It is pleasing to see MAG’s £1.3bn investment in Manchester Airport unlocking the potential of our two runways, driving growth and prosperity across the North through routes like these with IndiGo.
“I am honoured to be joining the Prime Minister on this trade mission and look forward to working with Government on plans to maximise the contribution Manchester Airport makes to its economic mission in the years to come.”
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“This new route to Delhi will supercharge Manchester’s connections with India. Our existing route to Mumbai is already hugely beneficial to the city’s businesses and people – supporting trade, investment and cultural links with one of the world’s biggest economies.
“The addition of Delhi, meaning that there will be daily flights to and from India from Manchester, will take that to the next level.”
Jo Ahmed, co-chair of the Manchester India Partnership, an alliance of public and private sector organisations that has forged closer social and economic ties over the past eight years, said:
“Having direct flights into India’s two most important cities will deliver a significant boost to the region’s economy, building on the many trade, investment, academic and cultural connections that already exist.
“The fact IndiGo chose Manchester in the first place was due recognition of the many years of hard work that have gone into forging close ties between the two locations. With a new UK-India trade deal in place – and connectivity like this – I am looking forward to the next chapter of Manchester-India relations delivering an even stronger set of opportunities for collaboration benefitting both people and place.”
Vishakha Yaduvanshi, Consul General of India in Manchester, said:
“The launch of IndiGo’s new direct flight service between Delhi and Manchester marks another milestone in the deepening partnership between India and the North of England, since the establishment of the Consulate General of India and the launch of a direct flight between Manchester and Mumbai.
“I commend Manchester Airport and IndiGo for their tireless efforts to meet the growing demand to extend the connectivity to India’s capital, Delhi. This new edition is timely and immensely significant for businesses, students, tourism and cultural linkages between our two countries.”
Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said:
“Lord Jim O’Neill, who developed the intellectual underpinning of the Northern Powerhouse, has made the case consistently for linking cities including Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Liverpool to each other and Manchester Airport. He also coined the terms ‘BRICs’ and the changing global economic order in the two and a half decades since has shown the importance of India and China in particular from that grouping to the future of the North.
“Adding Delhi to the existing direct connection already established to Mumbai is a testament to the strong potential for strengthening economic ties between the North of England and India. Building on foreign direct investment such as Sai Life Sciences at Alderley Park and the significant number of Indian students who choose to study here – one of our greatest pan-Northern export success stories, including institutions such as Manchester and Sheffield – this new direct long-haul link is of particular significance.”
Delhi is India’s capital and home to its government. It is also part of the famous ‘Golden Triangle’ of Delhi, Agra – home of the Taj Mahal – and Jaipur, which is famed for its pink forts, palaces and temples.
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the financial capital of India and one of the most populous cities in the world. Located on the west coast along the Arabian Sea, Mumbai is the centre of the Hindi film industry and a thriving hub for commerce, fashion, and entertainment.
IndiGo is India’s biggest airline. Last year it served more than 118m passengers across its network of more than 90 destinations in India and 40 international destinations. It has a fleet of more than 400 aircraft.
The new service will operate from Manchester Airport’s brand new, £1.3bn Terminal 2, as well as the existing Mumbai service. The terminal is the centrepiece of the airport’s decade-long transformation programme which is due to be conclude in the coming months.
Terminal 2 has already won the prestigious Prix Versailles for architecture and design, recognising it as one of the most modern and user-friendly airport terminals in Europe.
