Airline major IndiGo is set to connect over 50 domestic destinations to Manchester and Amsterdam via Mumbai, industry sources told businessline.

Mumbai will be leveraged as a regional hub connecting tier-2 and tier-3 cities to these European destinations, among others.

According to sources, features such as single ticket check-in for luggage and short layovers (under 5 hours) for passengers from more than 10 Indian cities are expected to make these routes attractive for flyers travelling to Europe.

“The short layover is a key selling point for IndiGo. On average, these layovers are not more than 4 to 5 hours for feeder flights’ passengers, who are flying to Mumbai,” sources said.

Besides, under the given circumstances, the strategy works well for IndiGo to bypass Pakistan’s airspace as well as the conflict-ridden zones in West Asia.

Another industry insider told businessline, that the airline has implemented a strategy similar to its operations from Kolkata to Vietnam.

“IndiGo used to feed those operations from flights originating from different destinations within India, which converged at Kolkata, and from there, passengers boarded flights to Vietnam,” the industry insider said.

Besides, the strategy is key to making IndiGo a global aviation player. As of now, the airline is working towards building metro hubs in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

Accordingly, these hubs facilitate seamless one-stop connections, making global destinations accessible to many flyers living in tier-2 and tier-3 Indian cities.

Furthermore, the current strategy will make it easier for travellers from North India to travel to Europe.

In an earlier interaction, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers told businessline that IndiGo’s goal is to build a self-reliant, direct flight network for India, catering to the growing demand for international air travel.

“We have started the strategy towards ‘new heights and across new frontiers,’” he said.

India’s geographical position, he said, is advantageous for expanding operations, with 65 per cent of the world’s population within a 5- to 6-hour flying radius.

“Mumbai, for example, will have more flights to West Asia than Delhi. Delhi will have more flights to Central Asia than Mumbai,” he said.

In the current fiscal year, IndiGo plans to launch direct flights to 10 new international destinations, including London, Athens, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Manchester, and Cambodia, besides four CIS destinations.

Furthermore, the airline has partnered with Air France-KLM, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic Airways to offer connections to over 30 destinations in Europe and the US.

This partnership is expected to not only drive occupancy on IndiGo’s Amsterdam and Manchester flights, but also enable Delta and its European partners to compete with Air India and Emirates on India-US and India-Europe routes.

Published on June 25, 2025