Delta Plots India Comeback with IndiGo, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic Partnership

India’s aviation market is booming, and four major airlines are investing in its long-haul future. IndiGo, Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic recently took advantage of the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting in Delhi to announce plans for a broad partnership that will connect India with Europe and North America.

This collaboration between the SkyTeam carriers and the rapidly growing Indian carrier aims to create seamless travel connections, share loyalty benefits, and enhance the overall travel experience for millions of passengers across three continents.

Photo: Pieter Elbers, CEO at Indigo. Courtesy of IATA

“This partnership represents another important milestone as IndiGo pursues commercial synergies, operational excellence, and innovation,” said Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo. “We’re excited to welcome Delta Air Lines as a valued partner and to expand our relationship with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic. Together, we’ll offer comprehensive intercontinental connectivity, seamless experiences, and great loyalty value.”

Connecting Dozens of Cities Across Continents

Elbers stated that the new alliance utilizes the unique strengths of each airline effectively. IndiGo will provide unmatched domestic coverage within India, while Delta will contribute a robust presence in transatlantic and North American routes. Air France-KLM will enhance the alliance with its extensive European and transatlantic reach, and Virgin Atlantic will add significant connections between the U.K. and the U.S.

Photo: Courtesy of Airbus Operations GmbH

The collaboration will allow passengers to travel more easily between dozens of cities across India, Europe, the United States, and Canada. Initially, it builds on existing codeshares IndiGo has held with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic since 2022, which already give travelers access to more than 30 destinations in India.

With Delta entering the partnership, connectivity is expected to improve significantly—particularly for North American travelers heading to India.

“As IndiGo starts long-haul operations, we’ll connect four of the world’s largest economies,” said Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic. “This enhances the travel experience for our guests, from greater connectivity and optimized flight times to loyalty benefits.”

Delta Plans a Return to India

Delta’s inclusion in the alliance marks its return to Indian skies, with plans to launch a nonstop service between Atlanta and Delhi. Though the start date is pending government approval, Delta CEO Ed Bastian stressed the importance of India in Delta’s global strategy.

Photo: Delta Air Lines, Airbus A350-900. Courtesy of Delta

“This agreement is another example of our commitment to making travel more connected, more inclusive and more accessible,” said Bastian. “We look forward to restarting Delta’s direct service from the U.S. to India in the near future.”

A New Phase for IndiGo’s Global Expansion

The partnership also comes as IndiGo prepares to scale its long-haul ambitions. The airline recently announced it would increase its fleet of damp-leased Boeing 787s to six aircraft and has a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900s, with options for 70 more. These aircraft are key to IndiGo’s stated goal of becoming a global airline by 2030.

Photo: Pieter Elbers, CEO at Indigo. Courtesy of IATA

“This strategic partnership enables us to connect with our partners’ networks and provide greater access to Europe and North America,” Elbers said. “It also lays the groundwork for us to exchange best practices in technology, operational excellence, and service delivery.”

One example: KLM’s new nonstop flight between Amsterdam and Hyderabad, launching in September 2025, will give Air France-KLM the ability to sell IndiGo flights to 24 Indian cities beyond Hyderabad—further reinforcing the alliance’s strength.

Loyalty, Operations, and Shared Tech in Sight

The four airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that lays the groundwork for future collaboration in areas such as loyalty programs, network planning, sales, cargo, ground handling, and sustainability. It also opens the door to deeper cooperation in aircraft maintenance, training, and customer service technology.

Photo: Courtesy of Delta Air Lines

Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, called India “a strategic market” and said the group is pleased to deepen its relationship with IndiGo alongside Delta and Virgin Atlantic. “We look forward to welcoming IndiGo customers on our flights and to playing an active role in the country’s connectivity.”

What Comes Next

Before travelers can see the full benefits of this new alliance, regulatory and commercial contracts must be finalized. Once completed, IndiGo will be able to sell partner-operated flights under its own “6E” marketing code, simplifying ticketing and connections for passengers headed to Europe and North America.

Photo: Virgin Atlantic, Airbus A350-1000. Courtesy of Aric Cheng / Unsplash

In the meantime, the announcement signals a major step toward a more integrated global travel network—one that places India at the center of a new aviation axis.

“This is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter,” said Elbers.

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