IndiGo, Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic have tied up to enhance connectivity between India, Europe, and North America.
The alliance will connect IndiGo’s domestic network with Delta’s U.S. and transatlantic routes, Air France-KLM’s European and North American reach, and Virgin Atlantic’s U.K. and transatlantic presence, the companies said in a joint statement Sunday.
“It’s an enormous opportunity for customers from different airlines to connect to the incredibly strong networks we have here in India by IndiGo, in Europe by Air France, KLM, and Virgin, and across the Atlantic with Delta. Looking at where the growth of India is and where the economy goes, we believe the opportunity of this is just immense, ”Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said in the statement.
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, he looked forward to restarting direct service from the U.S. to India in the near future.
Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, said, “We currently serve three cities, with a fourth set to come online soon. We look forward to further strengthening our cooperation through Amsterdam to our network of 320 destinations worldwide.”
Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said that the UK-India market has 4.5 million passengers per year, and the US-India market 7 million passengers per year. “Considering the size of the population and economic growth, the sky is the limit. There’s tremendous opportunity for all of us to cooperate.”
Once regulatory approvals are complete, IndiGo customers will be able to book connecting flights operated by partner airlines under IndiGo’s 6E marketing code. This will include KLM flights from Amsterdam to 30 European destinations, Delta and KLM flights from Amsterdam to the U.S. and Canada, and Virgin Atlantic flights from Manchester to the U.S.
IndiGo plans to expand its long-haul fleet with six leased Boeing 787 aircraft this year and has a firm order for 60 Airbus A350-900s. Delta intends to resume nonstop Atlanta-Delhi service, subject to government approval.
The partnership framework also covers collaboration in loyalty programs, cargo, sales, aircraft maintenance, sustainability, training, and ground handling, pending regulatory clearances.
