IndiGo To Fulfill Its Long-Haul Dream As It Announces Flights Connecting Mumbai With Amsterdam And Manchester From July

Mumbai: IndiGo marks the start of its new era as it announced its first long-haul flights connecting Mumbai with Amsterdam and Manchester. With this announcement, IndiGo became the only airline to operate a non-stop flight on the Mumbai-Manchester route.

Getting closer to its dream of becoming a global aviation giant, India’s largest airline IndiGo on Wednesday announced its first two long-haul flights connecting Mumbai with Europe and the United Kingdom.

The thrice weekly flights will connect Mumbai to Amsterdam and Manchester with IndiGo’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. While the flights to Manchester are said to commence on July 1, the Amsterdam route is expected to commence from July 2.

On its first long-haul flights IndiGo has announced to serve complimentary Indian hot meals and beverages to all customers on these routes, upgrading their in-flight dining experience. The meals and beverages, by iconic home-grown Indian brands, are said to celebrate India and its unique cuisine.

Starting from July 1, IndiGo will become the only airline to serve on the Mumbai-Manchester route as well as the only airline offering direct connectivity between India and the Northern UK. The flights connecting both the cities will be operated every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flight 6E0031 will depart from Mumbai at 4.15am and reach Manchester at 9.15am whereas the return flight 6E0032 will depart at 12pm and reach at 1.35am.

Pieter Elbers, the chief executive officer at IndiGo, said, “IndiGo’s long-haul foray marks a pivotal moment in our global expansion journey. We are very proud as well as excited to open the sale of our first long-haul service connecting Mumbai with Manchester, a very special route in many ways. This significant step underscores our commitment to becoming an airline of truly global scale and stature and contributing towards transforming India into a global aviation hub.”

Chris Woodroofe, managing director of Manchester Airport, said, “This route makes us the only Northern airport with a direct connection to India and cements our position as one of Europe’s best-connected airports. It will link the region to the world’s fastest growing economy, opening up even stronger trade and investment opportunities. It will connect half a million people with Indian heritage who live in Manchester Airport’s catchment area to family and friends, and it will capitalise on the wide-ranging cultural and economic ties that exist.”

Set to launch on July 2, the flight from Mumbai to Amsterdam will be IndiGo’s first flight on this route. The thrice weekly service marks the airline’s strategic foray into long-haul operations to meet the growing demand for air travel between India and Europe, facilitated by Indian operators.

The Flight 6E0021 from Mumbai to Amsterdam will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing at 5.25am and reaching at 11am. The Flight 6E0022 on Amsterdam-Mumbai route will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, departing at 2pm and reaching at 1.55am.

“We are stretching our wings further to enhance accessibility and convenience to customers traveling to Europe for leisure, business, and education, as well as unlocking IndiGo’s unparalleled domestic network, showcasing ‘India by IndiGo’ to foreign travellers. This will be a major milestone in our international growth journey as we move towards our vision to become a global aviation leader, propelling India’s ambition of transforming into a global aviation hub,” said Elbers.

IndiGo is expected to expand its long-haul segment in the upcoming time as it has signed an agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways to damp lease four Boeing 787-9 aircraft. While the first of these four aircraft has been operated on Mumbai-Bangkok route, IndiGo plans to lay a strong foundation for intercontinental growth with the remaining aircraft.

To strengthen its long-haul dreams, it is also eyeing the arrival of A321XLRs, said to start arriving this year as well as the A350, said to start arriving from 2027.

The first Norse-operated flight for IndiGo took off in March 2025 on the Mumbai-Bangkok route. With the three additional aircraft IndiGo is planning to lay a strong foundation for intercontinental growth, while the airline awaits the delivery of its A321XLR from this year and A350-900 aircraft from 2027 onwards.

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