The Indian diaspora in the UK is celebrating Air India’s expansion of flight services between India and the UK, enhancing connectivity ahead of the summer season.
Starting March 30, 2025, Air India will increase flight frequencies on key routes as part of its Northern Summer schedule. Flights from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick will now operate three to five times a week, while services from Amritsar to Birmingham and London will run three to four times weekly. Delhi to London Heathrow flights will rise from 21 to 24 per week, featuring the airline's flagship A350-900 and upgraded B787-9 aircraft.
Beyond the UK, Air India is expanding services across Europe, Far East Asia, and Africa. Flights from Delhi to Zurich will increase to five per week, and Delhi to Vienna to four per week. Flights from Delhi and Nairobi will increase from three to four weekly flights. Meanwhile, non-stop flights from Mumbai to Melbourne will be suspended from March 30 to September 13, 2025, along with the Kochi-London Gatwick route, which is halted until further notice. However, the 12 weekly flights to London Gatwick from Amritsar, Ahmedabad, and Goa will continue to operate.
The expansion aims to enhance convenience, strengthen cultural and business ties, and meet the growing demand for seamless international travel.
There was a time when travellers from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, had no direct flights to the UK and had to transit through Mumbai or Delhi. Since the 1980s, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar tirelessly campaigned for direct connectivity, advocating to political leaders from Chimanbhai Patel to Keshubhai Patel.
This long-standing demand was finally met when the Narendra Modi government came to power. During his visit to Wembley, Modi announced the launch of direct Ahmedabad-London flights, which began on December 15, 2015.
Now, a decade later, the number of flights has increased, bringing joy to the Indian diaspora. However, the Gujarati community remains somewhat disappointed that there is still no direct service to Heathrow, though the additional flights to Gatwick have been a welcome development.
