The new daily Airbus A330 passenger and cargo service from London Heathrow will provide a welcome boost in cargo capacity for customers to and from one of the world's most buoyant freight markets. New Delhi, served by daily flights, has been one of Virgin Atlantic Cargo's top performing routes over the last 12 years while India is forecast to continue to grow at a faster annual rate than other traditional cargo markets.
The new flights to Mumbai will see Virgin Atlantic return to a route it first served from 2005 to 2009.
John Lloyd, Director of Cargo at Virgin Atlantic, said: 'Returning to Mumbai is a real bonus for our cargo business and our customers. The air cargo market in India is already very strong for us through New Delhi and with Mumbai's buoyant commercial centre and industrial infrastructure we expect to easily fill our capacity with cargo connecting to and from points across the Virgin network. For example, the schedule has been designed to offer excellent connections to the USA. In terms of passenger traffic Mumbai is Heathrow's 12th busiest long-haul route and we expect to see equally high demand for cargo space in both directions.'
James Bevan, British High Commissioner to India, said: 'I am delighted that Virgin Atlantic has announced it is expanding into Mumbai. The expansion of air links between the UK and India helps to underpin the vibrant people to people ties between our two countries. And it reinforces the UK's position as an unrivalled global hub for business and a stepping stone to the rest of the world.'
Flights from London Heathrow Airport will depart everyday at 1015 GMT arriving into Mumbai at 0055+1 (local time). The flights from Mumbai depart everyday at 0310 (local time) arrive into London Heathrow for 0755 (GMT).
