Manchester Airport to boast the North’s only direct route to India

IndiGo, the largest airline in India, has announced it will begin flights from Manchester Airport for the first time, offering the North of England’s only direct route to the country, which is the world’s fastest-growing economy.

The announcement marks IndiGo’s first entry to the European market, and first long-haul routes, and cements Manchester Airport’s status as one of the fastest-growing airports in Europe. The move also reflects the strong cultural ties between the North of England and India, with more than 500,000 people of Indian heritage living within two hours of Manchester Airport, and illustrates the attractiveness of the region as a destination for both leisure and business travel.

The new connection is one of two European routes being launched the by the airline, alongside a route to Amsterdam.

Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said:

“Here at Manchester Airport our mission is to connect the North with the world, helping people visit new places, connecting businesses with key global markets, and welcoming tourists and investors to our region.

“That is why I am proud that IndiGo – India’s biggest carrier – has chosen Manchester, alongside Amsterdam, as its first ever European destinations. 

“The news cements Manchester’s position as one of Europe’s fastest-growing airports – serving more than 30m passengers annually – and as the UK’s global gateway in the North.

“This new service will be the only direct route to India from the North of the UK and will be popular with the more than half a million people with Indian heritage who live within Manchester Airport’s catchment area.

”We also know that connectivity is a key enabler of trade and productivity. By providing direct access to the world’s fastest-growing major economy, this route will deliver a significant boost to the government’s economic growth mission and comes on the back of positive progress towards a UK-India trade deal.

”It’s an exciting time for relations between the North of England and India, with a new Indian Consulate opening in Manchester this weekend and a number of cultural, sporting, social and economic partnerships being agreed in recent months. For many years, the region has worked hard to create ever-closer ties with India and there is much on the horizon – including this summer’s England vs India Test series.

“I look forward to welcoming IndiGo’s team to Manchester, and the UK, and supporting their success and future growth.”

 Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo said:

“Today, we unlock a new and very exciting chapter in IndiGo’s growth journey, connecting India to the heart of Europe. 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.“

“The United Kingdom is an important market for us, and we’re excited to announce direct flights between India and Manchester.”

The flights are set to launch three times a week in the summer and further information will be set out in the coming weeks ahead of tickets going on sale.

Business and political leaders have welcomed the news, saying it will make a major contribution to the government’s growth mission.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, also a Greater Manchester MP, said:

“As a Manchester MP and UK Trade Secretary who returned from New Delhi last month having relaunched trade talks with India, I know this news will be hugely welcomed by businesses and visitors who can’t wait to take advantage of easier, direct flights between India and the North.

“We in the UK are lucky to have a strong relationship with India underpinned by close personal connections and a £41billion trading relationship that will only grow larger thanks to closer connections such as this.

“I’m excited to see these new flight routes open up – a further sign of growth and confidence in the UK economy.”

India is Greater Manchester’s fastest growing partner country for service exports. These more than doubled across the period 2019-2022 and are now worth £337 million to the Greater Manchester economy.