Air India will add an extra flight between Delhi and London from October 26, increasing its weekly services on the high-demand route to 28, the airline announced on Thursday. The new service will add 1,196 seats each way per week, strengthening Air India’s position as the largest carrier between India and the UK.

"Air India is the largest carrier between India and the UK, operating 61x weekly and deploying 18,066 seats per week (in one direction), which translates to nearly 1.7 million seats annually on routes between the two countries," the airline said in a release.

The carrier connects Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Amritsar with London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Birmingham.

"All Air India flights on the high-demand route are operated by the airline's new Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft," it added.

Currently, Air India operates 24 weekly flights on the Delhi-London route, including three ad hoc services.

Meanwhile, British Airways announced on Wednesday plans to launch a third daily flight between London Heathrow and Delhi in 2026, subject to regulatory and capacity approval, as part of efforts to enhance air connectivity between the UK and India.

The move follows the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries in July and coincides with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ‘Britain Means Business’ trade mission to India.

"The airline will introduce a third daily flight between London Heathrow and Delhi in 2026, subject to regulatory and capacity approval. The popular First cabin will return on flights from London to Mumbai this month with the latest business class Club Suite on select flights across all five Indian routes by the end of 2026," British Airways said.

Currently, British Airways operates 56 weekly flights connecting London with five Indian cities, including three daily services to Mumbai, two to Delhi, and one each to Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. India is the airline’s biggest market outside the United States.

Prime Minister Starmer said, "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."

British Airways Chairman and CEO Sean Doyle highlighted the airline’s century-long ties with India: "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. We will develop our own network alongside increased economic activity, so the FTA for our business is very good news."

Around 130 top UK CEOs, including Doyle, and senior government ministers flew to Mumbai on a chartered British Airways flight on Tuesday as part of the trade mission.