British airline Virgin Atlantic is betting big on the “tremendous opportunities” in the Indian market and expects to carry more cargo from the country as business activities are set to rise with the India-UK free trade agreement.
The carrier, which has been flying to India for 25 years, currently operates five flights daily from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru to London Heathrow.
“We bet big on India… it is the second largest market for Virgin Atlantic now behind the United States… it (India) is a very special place that we feel has tremendous opportunities,” the airlines CEO Shai Weiss said.
Since 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.
The airline has a codeshare partnership with IndiGo. Generally, a codeshare partnership allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carrier on a single ticket.
As part of efforts to expand international air connectivity options for travellers to and from India, Virigin Atlantic, IndiGo, Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM have also announced a partnership.
India is one of the world’s fastest growing civil aviation markets.
About plans for operating new routes, Weiss said it is mainly a matter of demand.
“If the opportunity is right and we have planes and the slots that we throw, expect us to expand. For now, we have got to make those million seats that we have flying to and from India,” he noted.
India and the United Kingdom entering into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is set to boost business activities between the two countries and that will also provide a significant tailwind for the cargo business of Virgin Atlantic.
“We are very pleased with the announcement (India-UK FTA) and the cooperation between the two countries… we do have a very, very big cargo operation. It goes into the belly of the planes,” Weiss said.
The airline does not operate freighters.