Indian airlines are fundamentally reshaping international travel, offering passengers direct routes that bypass traditional Gulf hubs and save up to six hours in journey time.

IndiGo has commenced daily non-stop flights between Mumbai and London Heathrow using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft in a dual-class configuration with Economy and IndiGoStretch business product. The service connects two major global financial centres, with departures from Mumbai at 14:45 hours, arriving in London at 19:20 hours.

Pieter Elbers, chief executive officer of IndiGo said: “This route is not just a new destination for us, it’s a bridge between cultures, businesses, and families. This also marks a defining moment in IndiGo’s journey towards becoming a truly global airline.”

The shift is dramatically impacting Middle Eastern carriers. According to Dubai Airports, of 11.9 m Indian passengers in 2023, over 5 m transited via Dubai. By end-2025, of the projected 6 m passengers, only 2.5 m are expected to transit, a 50 per cent reduction.

IndiGo has launched over 10 new direct routes in 2025, including Manchester, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Athens from Mumbai and Delhi. The carrier operates 2,300-plus daily flights with 420-plus aircraft and is receiving one aircraft weekly. By 2027, when 60 Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft arrive, expansion is set to accelerate.

Akasa Air is expanding its footprint with international flights from Delhi launching soon, according to co-founder and chief commercial officer Praveen Iyer.

The airline, which started operations in August 2022, currently operates a fleet of 30 aircraft serving 24 domestic and six international destinations including Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City and Phuket.

Iyer noted that they will look at operating flights to various overseas destinations, including Singapore, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Tashkent. The airline holds firm orders for 226 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and expects faster deliveries as Boeing increases production.

Air India has announced plans to restart direct flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv from 1st January 2026, while expanding frequencies to Bangkok and Manila.

Sanjay Kumar, executive director at SpiceJet, told The Core that international airlines including Gulf carriers are already feeling the pressure by either reducing fares or increasing capacity. This is a new challenge so far as Indian carriers are concerned.

The transformation offers passengers tangible benefits – no transit visas, no airport layovers, four to six hours saved, lower fares and reduced stress through point-to-point precision.

Despite these headwinds, Indian carriers are capturing market share from Gulf and European legacy airlines, with industry analysts projecting IndiGo alone could capture 10–15% of long-haul India–Europe traffic by 2027.