India and UK Expand Air Service Agreement to Boost Flights

20 May 2024 CW Team

The UK's Department for Transport (DFT) revealed that the enhanced agreement allows for a total of 70 weekly services between London Heathrow and these two major Indian hubs, starting from the upcoming winter season. Currently, carriers from both nations operate 56 flights per week on these routes.

"With around 300,000 travelers between India and the UK each month and bilateral trade in goods and services reaching ?39 billion in 2023, this expansion will strengthen our robust relationship with India, supporting business, trade, and tourism," the DFT stated.

The expansion is particularly beneficial for UK airlines that have utilized their maximum allowance of 56 weekly flights. Indian carriers, including Air India and Vistara, currently run 38 weekly flights between London Heathrow and India.

Virgin Atlantic has already announced plans for a second London-Mumbai service starting at the end of October, anticipating the increased traffic rights.

Kapil Kaul, CEO of aviation consultancy CAPA India, noted, "The expansion of traffic rights between India and London Heathrow Airport is a logical step and long overdue. However, slot constraints at Heathrow remain a significant issue."

In 2023, nearly four million passengers traveled between India and the UK, with Delhi and London Heathrow being the busiest airports for this traffic. Other notable routes included Mumbai to London Gatwick and Manchester to Kochi. Major carriers in the market include Air India, British Airways, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, and Etihad, with Emirates capturing nearly 10% of the market share. Air India leads with approximately 30%.

Indiver Rastogi, president & group head of global business travel at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel, welcomed the revision, saying, "The increased flights are positive news, addressing the high demand and easing current capacity constraints. This should also help in rationalizing airfares on these routes."

The updated air service agreement is set to enhance connectivity, promote economic growth, and foster stronger ties between India and the UK.

The civil aviation authorities of India and the United Kingdom have updated their air service agreement, paving the way for an additional 14 weekly flights between London Heathrow and the key Indian cities of Delhi and Mumbai. The UK's Department for Transport (DFT) revealed that the enhanced agreement allows for a total of 70 weekly services between London Heathrow and these two major Indian hubs, starting from the upcoming winter season. Currently, carriers from both nations operate 56 flights per week on these routes. With around 300,000 travelers between India and the UK each month and bilateral trade in goods and services reaching ?39 billion in 2023, this expansion will strengthen our robust relationship with India, supporting business, trade, and tourism, the DFT stated. The expansion is particularly beneficial for UK airlines that have utilized their maximum allowance of 56 weekly flights. Indian carriers, including Air India and Vistara, currently run 38 weekly flights between London Heathrow and India. Virgin Atlantic has already announced plans for a second London-Mumbai service starting at the end of October, anticipating the increased traffic rights. Kapil Kaul, CEO of aviation consultancy CAPA India, noted, The expansion of traffic rights between India and London Heathrow Airport is a logical step and long overdue. However, slot constraints at Heathrow remain a significant issue. In 2023, nearly four million passengers traveled between India and the UK, with Delhi and London Heathrow being the busiest airports for this traffic. Other notable routes included Mumbai to London Gatwick and Manchester to Kochi. Major carriers in the market include Air India, British Airways, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, and Etihad, with Emirates capturing nearly 10% of the market share. Air India leads with approximately 30%. Indiver Rastogi, president & group head of global business travel at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel, welcomed the revision, saying, The increased flights are positive news, addressing the high demand and easing current capacity constraints. This should also help in rationalizing airfares on these routes. The updated air service agreement is set to enhance connectivity, promote economic growth, and foster stronger ties between India and the UK.

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

TBO Tek Q2 Profit Climbs 12%, Revenue Surges 26% YoY

TBO Tek Limited one of the world’s largest travel distribution platforms, reported a solid performance for Q2 FY26 with a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue to Rs 5.68 billion, reflecting broad-based growth and improving profitability.The company recorded a Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of Rs 8,901 crore, up 12 per cent YoY, driven by strong performance across Europe, MEA, and APAC regions. Adjusted EBITDA before acquisition-related costs stood at Rs 1.04 billion, up 16 per cent YoY, translating into an 18.32 per cent margin compared to 16.56 per cent in Q1 FY26. Profit after tax r..

Infrastructure Energy

05 Nov 2025

Northern Graphite, Rain Carbon Secure R&D Grant for Greener Battery Materials

Northern Graphite Corporation and Rain Carbon Canada Inc, a subsidiary of Rain Carbon Inc, have jointly received up to C$860,000 (€530,000) in funding under the Canada–Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Programme to develop sustainable battery anode materials.The two-year, C$2.2 million project aims to transform natural graphite processing by-products into high-performance, battery-grade anode material (BAM). Supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Programme (NRC IRAP) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs a..

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

Antony Waste Q2 Revenue Jumps 16%; Subsidiary Wins Rs 3,200 Cr WtE Projects

Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited (AWHCL), a leading player in India’s municipal solid waste management sector, announced a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in total operating revenue to Rs 2.33 billion for Q2 FY26. The growth was driven by higher waste volumes, escalated contracts, and strong operational execution.EBITDA rose 18 per cent to Rs 570 million, with margins steady at 21.6 per cent, while profit after tax stood at Rs 173 million, up 13 per cent YoY. Revenue from Municipal Solid Waste Collection and Transportation (MSW C&T) reached Rs 1.605 billion, and MSW Processing re..