Virgin
Atlantic is to launch services from Manchester in the UK to Delhi and Mumbai.
Three-times
weekly services to Mumbai will begin on 19 December and twice weekly services to
Delhi using Boeing 787-9 aircraft on 5 January. The airline already operates daily services to the two Indian cities
from London Heathrow.
Juha
Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s chief commercial officer, said: “India
boasts the largest foreign-born population in the UK and we’re anticipating
that post Covid-19, the demand to travel home to visit loved ones will increase."
He
added: “Following the relaunch of services from Heathrow to Mumbai and Delhi in
September 2020, these new services from Manchester represent our continued
investment in India. Both Mumbai and Delhi are
popular year-round destinations, and we look forward to welcoming
travellers from the North and Midlands onboard as demand for leisure and
business travel gradually increases to the region.”
Andrew Cowan, MAG COO and Chair
of Manchester India Partnership, said: “It is pleasing to
see Virgin Atlantic make a further commitment to the North, following the
recent announcement of its new service to Pakistan and building on the success
of its routes to America and the Caribbean in recent years.
“This news is
testament to the hard work done to establish closer links between the region
and India through the Manchester India Partnership, especially in the fields of
education, healthcare, tourism, business and sport.”
The airline said that the new routes would offer “a fast,
efficient cargo service presenting new opportunities for companies looking to
export and import goods such as fresh produce, pharmaceuticals and textiles
between prime markets in the UK, US and India”.
Flights go on sale from 20 October.