British Airways has reaffirmed its ambition for network growth in India as the airline facilitated a major UK Government trade mission - led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer – to the country.

The airline will introduce a third daily flight between London Heathrow and Delhi in 2026, subject to regulatory and capacity approval, and will look for further growth opportunities in the country as trade between the UK and India increases.

Around 130 top UK CEOs and senior government ministers flew out to the country on a chartered British Airways flight on Tuesday as part of a trade mission designed to boost trade links and business between the two countries.

The trip to Mumbai follows the signing of a Free Trade Agreement between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, in July.

British Airways has been flying to India for more than 100 years and this month celebrates 20 years of flying to Bangalore. In addition to a third daily flight between London Heathrow and Delhi, the popular First cabin will return on flights to Mumbai this month, with the latest business class Club Suite on select flights across all five Indian routes by the end of 2026.

The added frequency will give customers travelling to India more choice and flexibility, whether they’re visiting loved ones, discovering a new city, or travelling for work.  

British Airways has also rolled out a brand-new Meet and Assist service for free for customers who require additional support travelling from India to the UK to help make travel less stressful.

The service has been used by around 5,500 customers since launch in March. It is available across all five Indian airports that the airline operates from and colleagues who are fluent in local languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu and Tamil, have undertaken dedicated training to deliver this proposition.

The airline continues to invest in its overall customer experience and has already rolled out over 900 initiatives as part of its £7 billion transformation plan, from brand-new short-haul seats and free Wi-Fi messaging on board, to refreshing lounges across its global network.