Delta Air Lines Announces Plans to Expand India Travel

Delta Air Lines has announced plans to improve travel options to a country with a "fast-growing" economy.

It's all about linking that country's economy with North America and Europe, Delta wrote in a news release on June 1.

The country is India.

Delta "plans to resume services to India with nonstop flights between Atlanta and Delhi, subject to government approval. The service start date will be announced later," the release said.

However, the change goes far beyond that.

Delta Air Lines announced that it was partnering with IndiGo, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic "to build an industry-leading partnership connecting India with Europe and North America, with ambitions to grow to a global scale."

"India, one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, is at the heart of this collaboration," Delta wrote.

Delta already flies to "290 destinations on six continents," its news release says.

Additional plans would allow IndiGo passengers "traveling from India to book certain onward flights via the other carriers," according to Airline Geeks.

According to Delta, "linking IndiGo’s extensive domestic network with Delta’s strength in North America and the transatlantic, the extensive reach of Air France-KLM in Europe and North America, and the U.K. and transatlantic presence of Virgin Atlantic, the partnership is poised to offer travelers broader access, smoother journeys, and a more consistent experience across continents." 

"Linking dozens of cities in the United States, Canada, Europe and India, the airlines aim to meet rising demand for international travel while setting new standards for connectivity and cooperation in global aviation," the release added.

Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, said in the release: “This agreement is another example of our commitment to making travel more connected, more inclusive and more accessible. Combining our strengths with those of IndiGo, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, will enable us to offer unparalleled connectivity and convenience, ensuring that our customers enjoy the highest standards of service and reliability across the globe. We look forward to restarting Delta’s direct service from the U.S. to India in the near future.

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