India, Europe look to add more flights on rising demand

New Delhi: Airlines from India and Europe are mounting more flights to connect their respective markets with operations to the Gulf remaining severely disrupted due to the Iran war.

Air India has been at the forefront of this exercise. Between March 10 and 18, the Tata Group-owned carrier operated 78 additional international flights, adding 17,660 extra seats across nine routes linking Delhi and Mumbai with cities in Europe, the US, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is also operating 36 additional flights from Delhi and Mumbai to European cities, besides Toronto. Lufthansa recently said it is deploying bigger planes between Delhi and Mumbai to Munich. Air France-KLM is also using bigger jets on flights from several Asian cities including Mumbai, in response to increased demand and flight cancellations by Gulf-based airlines.

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British Airways is adding flights between London and Delhi. Travel industry experts termed it as a natural realignment rather than a direct competitive move, stating that in the short term, there may see a shift in preference towards direct flights, especially among premium and business travellers prioritising safety and convenience.

"With ongoing uncertainty in West Asia, airlines-both European carriers and Air India-are proactively strengthening direct connectivity to ensure reliability and passenger confidence," said Ravi Gosain, president at the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). "For travellers, this means greater choice, reduced dependence on transit hubs, and potentially more stable fares on key India-Europe routes."

For long, airlines like Air India, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Air France-KLM have faced increasing competition from Gulf airlines, which often offer cheaper fares for passengers willing to transit via hub airports in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi.

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The Middle East has a natural geographic advantage as around two-thirds of the world's population live within a four-hour flight of Dubai which lies at a crossroads connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Currently foreign airlines dominate the international long-haul market from India with more than an 80% share. In 2025, nearly 40% of Indian fliers to Europe and North America took Middle East airlines flying through connecting hubs airports in the Gulf.

Anil Kalsi, board member at thne Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) said airlines are experiencing exceptionally high load factors, with many flights operating at near or full capacity. In several cases, seat availability has dried up, and airfares have surged significantly-often multiple times the usual levels.