IndiGo Targets UK Market With Daily Heathrow Service

IndiGo plans to launch daily nonstop flights to London Heathrow, which will become the Indian airline's third long-haul route to Western Europe.

The new service, scheduled to begin on Oct. 26, will be operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, pending regulatory approvals. While IndiGo has not confirmed the Indian gateway, it is understood the service will operate from New Delhi.

The planned launch follows IndiGo's entry into the Western Europe market in early July with flights from Mumbai to Manchester and Amsterdam. The expansion marks a strategic shift for the LCC, which is broadening its focus beyond regional operations as it accelerates international growth.

To support its long-haul ambitions, IndiGo is leasing six 787-9s from Norse Atlantic Airways. One aircraft is already in service. The remaining five are scheduled to arrive between September and March 2026. These will serve as an interim widebody solution until IndiGo begins taking delivery of 30 Airbus A350-900s in 2027 which it ordered back in April 2024.

The launch of London Heathrow service coincides with IndiGo's 19th anniversary and signals a direct challenge to the three full-service carriers dominating the UK-India market: Air India, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, the three airlines currently operate a combined 73,700 two-way weekly seats between London and India—up from 42,900 in the same period in 2019. Air India currently holds a 37.4% share of capacity between India and London, with British Airways at 35.5% and Virgin Atlantic at 27.1%.

IndiGo's entry will provide competition in a market that continues to see strong growth, with 4.1 million two-way passengers between the UK and India in 2024—a 10.6% increase year-over-year.

Sabre Market Intelligence figures show that Delhi-London is the largest city pair, with 763,000 passengers traveling between the destinations in 2024, followed by Mumbai-London with 631,500. About 42% of passengers traveled nonstop between the UK and India last year, with the remainder connecting via hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The 787-9s leased by IndiGo feature a two-class configuration, including 56 seats in the carrier's premium IndiGoStretch product and 282 seats in economy. The product is also being introduced on select Airbus A321 international routes, from both Delhi and Mumbai to both Dubai and Singapore, starting this August and in September.

The airline's launch of long-haul flying comes amid a broader push to position itself as a global player by 2030. IndiGo has recently signed partnerships with Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic to boost Indian connectivity with Europe and North America. It also has codeshares with British Airways, Japan Airlines and Jetstar.

IndiGo operates a fleet of more than 400 aircraft and serves over 90 domestic and 40 international destinations. As part of its international expansion, the airline plans to launch new routes to Copenhagen, Athens and Siem Reap, and further expand into Central Asia during the 2026 financial year.

In late July, IndiGo also confirmed it will increase Mumbai-Manchester service from three to four weekly flights starting Sept. 22, while Mumbai-Amsterdam will rise from three to six weekly flights from Sept. 20, with daily service beginning Oct. 13.