A second daily Heathrow-Mumbai flight is being added by Virgin Atlantic from the autumn.

The airline’s fifth daily service between London and India, subject to government approval, will complement double daily flights to Delhi and a newly introduced link to Bengaluru.

Virgin Atlantic will offer more than one million seats to the country from next year, a 350% capacity growth since pre-pandemic 2019.

The capacity rise cements India’s position as a key strategic market for the airline, its largest area of growth outside the US. 

An Airbus A350-1000 is to be deployed on the expanded Mumbai route from October 27, with fares on sale from April 10.

Connectivity via Heathrow will be offered from US destinations  including Seattle, San Francisco and New York JFK alongside  transatlantic joint venture partner Delta Air Lines.

Virgin Atlantic is also quadrupling the number of Indian based cabin crew operating on routes to the country this summer.

The airline will now average four cabin crew from India on each flight  to deliver a more personalised service to Indian passengers.

Chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said: “There is a huge opportunity for us in India, it has a dynamic, fast-growing economy and we’re anticipating a huge growth in demand for international travel from the region. 

“We know both our customers and people love travelling to India and we have a rich history in the destination. 

“Next year marks 25 years of operations and the first time that we’ll offer more than one million seats from London Heathrow.  

“The doubling of our Mumbai services reaffirms our strong commitment and will allow our customers to travel seamlessly throughout India and beyond, flying on one of the youngest fleets in the skies, with our signature personalised service, delivered by our amazing people.”