IndiGo announced its long-awaited launch of flights between Delhi and London Heathrow, expanding connectivity on an already-competitive route from Delhi. Pakistan International Airlines also revealed it would be returning to London after several years hiatus given its Europe-wide ban.

For IndiGo, this forms part of its long-haul expansion with a fleet of wet-leased Boeing 787 aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways, ahead of the arrival of its own widebody planes. The company has 60 Airbus A350 aircraft on order, with the first expected in 2027.

It already flies to Heathrow from Mumbai.

Pakistan International Airlines used to operate a fairly significant schedule into London prior to its ban in 2020. It flew up to twice daily to London Heathrow with connections to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. It used its fleet of Boeing 777s.

Both of these developments also featured in this week’s route schedule update.

IndiGo’s London-Delhi launch

The India-UK market already sees up to 25 daily flights, primarily to London. The most popular route is between London Heathrow and Delhi, with up to 8 daily flights on three airlines.

Overview of the London Heathrow-Delhi route (December 2025)

Source: Cirium

IndiGo will become the fourth carrier, therefore, to fly between London and Delhi. It has reportedly leased slots from KLM – one of its airline partners alongside Air France, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic – to launch the five weekly flight. This information has yet to be officially confirmed.

If true, leasing slots from KLM would further exemplify the carrier’s growing partnership with the aforementioned airlines, all partners and prominent members of the SkyTeam alliance. For its Heathrow-Mumbai route, launched at the end of October, the company leased slots from Virgin Atlantic.

Flight timings are not ideal for onward IndiGo connections beyond Delhi to Southeast Asia and suggest a focus on point-to-point traffic rather than transfer passengers, similarly to its Mumbai-London route.

IndiGo’s Delhi – London schedule

Source: IndiGo

PIA’s London relaunch

Pakistan International Airlines is finally returning to London Heathrow after several years of hiatus. It was banned from flying to the United Kingdom (and the European Union) in June 2020, after a scandal involving its pilot licensing emerged.

The carrier was barred following the crash of flight 8303 a domestic service operated by an Airbus A320, killing 97 of the 99 onboard. The investigation that followed attributed the crash to errors both on the pilot and air traffic control sides. It emerged thereafter that nearly a third of the carrier’s pilots had licenses that were fake or suspicious.

The ban was lifted in July this year. The carrier returned to the United Kingdom – a market that was previously considered one of its most profitable – with a service to Manchester in October. In the EU, it resumed service to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Flights between London Heathrow and Islamabad will return 4x weekly with a Boeing 777 from 29 March, 2026. It has secured slots from Turkish Airlines to which it had leased them to while barred from the UK.

Featured image: IndiGo

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