IndiGo, which is based near Delhi, plans to fly three times a week to Manchester having secured a leasing deal for four Norse Atlantic Airways aircraft. The carrier, which will also serve Amsterdam, is using Norse’s Boeing 787s to make its long-haul debut.
The airline said flights were expected to commence in July. The Manchester flight will be the airport’s only direct connection with India.
A Manchester airport spokesperson said: “Indian airlines face extra regulatory work that they have to carry out ahead of full details being set out. Given that the route launches in the summer, they wanted to announce that it was happening as soon as they could.”
IndiGo’s chief executive Pieter Elbers said: "We’re thrilled to announce our first-ever long-haul destinations - Manchester and Amsterdam. India has strong ties both with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands for business and tourism; and there is a large Indian diaspora who live in these countries.
“These new flights will benefit both our existing and potential customers who fly on these routes. These new IndiGo long-haul routes are steps towards inching closer to realising our shared vision to build India into a global aviation hub.”
IndiGo has leased the Norse aircraft while it awaits delivery of new Airbus A321 XLR and A350-900s from 2027.
The deal will help Norse’s finances and means it has slimmed its fleet from 15 aircraft to eight with this and other sub-leasing arrangements.
