By John Flett
British Airways (BA) and Indian airline IndiGo have signed a codeshare agreement that gives the U.K. carrier’s passengers the opportunity to fly to three new destinations in India. The agreement will now give codeshare options for BA customers to eight destinations via Delhi and Mumbai from the airline’s Heathrow hub. The new destinations are all accessible via Mumbai and are Thiruvananthapuram, Rajkot (Hirasar) and Vadodara.
Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management at IndiGo, said: “This partnership expands the choices available to British Airways customers for journeys to/from London Heathrow, using IndiGo’s extensive network in India. This step to provide seamless connectivity will not only support trade and commerce between the two countries but also offer convenient travel options to students and tourists.”
The codeshare agreement commences on 12 October, subject to government approval, and will allow customers to travel on a single ticket between the eight destinations via Heathrow and vice versa. Indigo self-identifies as one of ‘the fastest-growing low-cost carriers in the world’ but BA is advising that passengers ‘traveling onwards with IndiGo, will be able to enjoy a complimentary meal and the U.K. carrier’s generous baggage allowance in economy via codeshare for flights to India – two checked bags up to 23 kilos [50 pounds] per person.’
Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances said: “British Airways has been flying to India since 1924, making it one of our longest-served and most valued destinations. Our partnership with IndiGo means that customers will be able to book their entire journey on one ticket, allowing seamless travel all the way from London to their final destination, offering more choice and flexibility for customers.”
BA now operates more services to India than prior to the pandemic with 56 flights per week to five Indian destinations: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The airline offers passengers traveling to Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore the opportunity to experience its new Club Suite business class cabin.
IndiGo’s Abhijit Dasgupta added: “With burgeoning demand for international travel, we will continue to enhance international connectivity and remain committed to our promise of providing on-time, affordable, courteous, and hassle-free travel experiences to our customers.”
The Indian airline operates over 1900 flights daily to over 80 domestic destinations and a number of international destinations utilizing a fleet of predominantly Airbus A320 family aircraft. At this year’s Paris Air Show in June, IndiGo placed a record order for 500 A320 family aircraft bringing its total of Airbus aircraft on order to 1,330. According to the airline’s own statistics, it had a 63 percent domestic market share in June of this year with an 88.6 percent load factor.
During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team that created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, balancing a mix of corporate and social content.
John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a Masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. He has been the course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university and a member of Heathrow Community Trust’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.
John is currently living in Canada and is contracted as an external instructor for aviation-related organizations.
