Some of the world’s leading airlines are investing to build a flight network to better connect India to the rest of the world. IndiGo, Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic this week announced a partnership that aims to link the domestic and international travel markets within and outside of India.
IndiGo is a low-cost airline based in Gurugram, India. It is the largest carrier in the country with a 64.1 percent market share in 2025, nearly 20 points higher than their nearest competitor, Air India. IndiGo’s primary airport is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
“IndiGo has embarked on an ambitious journey to become a global airline by 2030. This partnership represents another important milestone to pursue commercial synergies, operational excellence and innovation. This announcement not only expands our relationship with Air France–KLM and Virgin Atlantic but also marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter as we welcome Delta Air Lines as a valued partner,” Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said in a statement.
“This strategic partnership enables a compelling combined customer proposition in the form of comprehensive intercontinental connectivity, seamless experience and great loyalty value. It also lays the groundwork for us to exchange best practices in areas of technology, operational excellence and service delivery,” he said.
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines is one of the largest international airlines and part of the SkyTeam, one of the world’s three major airline alliances. The Atlanta-based company offers more than 5,400 flights daily on six continents.
Air France-KLM serves the international market under the Air France, KLM and Transavia brand names. As of late 2024, Air France-KLM flies 561 planes. The brands are part of the SkyTeam alliance and fly to more than 500 destinations worldwide as part of that network.
Virgin Atlantic flies primarily out of London-Heathrow and Manchester, England airports with its 44 planes. It too is part of the SkyTeam alliance.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi told reporters on Monday that India is the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market. The country, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. Modi noted in his remarks that India’s airline industry has already ordered 2,000 new aircraft.
IndiGo is expanding its fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft to six later this year and has placed an order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, with an option for 70 more.
According to a freshly released report from the International Air Transport Association, aviation supports India’s tourism industry to the tune of $27.1 billion and employs 5 million people.
IndiGo has been linked with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic since 2022, allowing passengers of those airlines to access 30 of IndiGo’s destinations in India. The Indian airline recently started service to Europe, which facilitated the opportunity for partnership with Virgin Atlantic and Delta.
Soon, IndiGo customers will be able to book KLM flights from Amsterdam to 30 points within Europe, Delta and KLM flights from Amsterdam to the U.S. and Canada and Virgin Atlantic flights from Manchester to the U.S.
In September, KLM will launch a new route, connecting Amsterdam to Hyderabad, India. Those customers will be able to purchase an IndiGo ticket to reach 24 destinations beyond Hyderabad as part of the partnership.
Delta plans to relaunch direct flights to India, with direct flights from Atlanta to Delhi possible once government approval has been reached.
