**British Airways to Add New London-Delhi Flight in 2026 Amid Growing UK-India Trade Ties**
*New Delhi:* British Airways has announced plans to introduce an additional daily flight connecting London and Delhi in 2026. This move aims to enhance air connectivity between India and the UK, especially as a recently signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two nations is expected to boost economic activities.
The airline, which has been operating flights to India for over a century, revealed this development on Wednesday. The announcement comes as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer leads the ‘Britain Means Business’ trade mission to India, currently visiting Mumbai. This visit follows the historic signing of the FTA in July.
According to the airline, the new service will add a third daily flight between London Heathrow and Delhi, pending regulatory and capacity approvals.
In addition to the new Delhi route, British Airways will reintroduce its popular First cabin on flights from London to Mumbai this month. The airline also plans to deploy its latest business class offering, the Club Suite, on select flights across all five Indian destinations by the end of 2026.
Currently, British Airways operates 56 weekly flights between London and five Indian cities. The schedule includes three daily services to Mumbai, two to Delhi, and one each to Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. India remains British Airways’ largest market outside the United States.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted the longstanding connection between the UK and India facilitated by British Airways. “As our landmark trade deal paves the way for new opportunities for businesses, our national flag carrier will play a critical role in strengthening trade links with India, boosting UK growth and helping deliver on our Plan for Change,” he said.
Sean Doyle, British Airways Chairman and CEO, emphasized the airline’s deep-rooted ties with India, where around 2,500 British Airways employees are currently based. “The Free Trade Agreement with India will boost economic momentum between our two countries, and British Airways really sits at the centre of that activity, acting as an enabler for increased trade,” Doyle stated. “We will develop our own network alongside increased economic activity, so the FTA for our business is very good news.”
As part of the ongoing trade mission, approximately 130 top UK CEOs—including Doyle—and senior government ministers flew to Mumbai on a chartered British Airways flight on Tuesday.
*Disclaimer: This story is from a syndicated feed. Only the headline has been changed.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/india-uk-british-airways-plans-to-start-additional-flight-connecting-london-delhi-in-2026