Business Secretary hails Manchester-India route news “as a sign of growth and confidence in the UK economy”

News of a new direct air route between Manchester Airport and India has been tipped to deliver a huge economic boost to the North.

India’s biggest airline IndiGo has announced a service to Manchester will be one of its first two routes to Europe, alongside a connection to Amsterdam. Together, they are IndiGo’s first ever long-haul services.

Set to start in July, the Manchester route will be the only one connecting the North directly with the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

Business and political leaders today welcomed the news, saying it will make a major contribution to the government’s growth mission.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, also MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, said:

"As a Manchester MP and UK Trade Secretary who returned from New Delhi last month having relaunched trade talks with India, I know this news will be hugely welcomed by businesses and visitors who can't wait to take advantage of easier, direct flights between India and the North.

"We in the UK are lucky to have a strong relationship with India underpinned by close personal connections and a £41billion trading relationship that will only grow larger thanks to closer connections such as this.

"I'm excited to see these new flight routes open up - a further sign of growth and confidence in the UK economy."

India is Greater Manchester's fastest growing partner country for service exports. These more than doubled across the period 2019-2022 and are now worth £337m to the Greater Manchester economy.

The news has also been welcomed by the Manchester India Partnership (MIP), a public-private body set up with the sole purpose of forging closer ties between the two places.

With members including Manchester Airport, Deloitte, Lancashire County Cricket Club, MIDAS and Marketing Manchester, it has staged a series of trade missions over many years, including as recently as November.

Manchester India Partnership Chair Simon Arora said:

"Securing a direct route between Manchester and India has been one of the MIP's top priorities for many years.

"That is because we understand the vital role connectivity has in unlocking economic, cultural and educational opportunities.

"The fact IndiGo has chosen Manchester for its first UK service underlines the strong connections that are already in place and the synergies between our economies.

"Everyone at MIP looks forward to that ties growing stronger and deeper once this exciting new route launches in the coming months."

The route was announced ahead of the opening of Manchester’s new Indian Consulate on Saturday. The consulate will mean people from India can access like passport services and more without having to travel to Birmingham.

Stockport MP and officer in the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus Navendu Mishra said:

"I am thrilled by today’s announcement that Manchester is to become the first and only Northern airport with a direct connection to India.

“I have been campaigning for this direct route to India for several years and I welcome that this new connectivity will greatly benefit Greater Manchester and the wider North of England, strengthening business, diaspora, and educational links between Britain and India.

“With passenger numbers only growing, Manchester Airport plays a vital role in our local and national economy.

“As a major employer in my constituency of Stockport, and the third largest airport in Britain, I am delighted to see the network expanding and the connectivity improving."

The new connection was announced on Thursday. IndiGo is India’s biggest carrier and the launch of flights to Manchester and Amsterdam mark its first flights into Europe.

It cements Manchester Airport’s status as one of the fastest-growing airports in Europe and the UK’s global gateway in the North.

It also reflects the strong cultural ties between the North and India, with more than 500,000 people of Indian heritage living within two hours of Manchester Airport, and illustrates the attractiveness of the region as a destination.

Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said:

“Here at Manchester Airport our mission is to connect the North with the world, helping people visit new places, connecting businesses with key global markets, and welcoming tourists and investors to our region.

“That is why I am proud that IndiGo – India’s biggest carrier – has chosen Manchester, alongside Amsterdam, as its first ever European destinations. 

"The news cements Manchester's position as one of Europe's fastest-growing airports - serving more than 30m passengers annually - and as the UK's global gateway in the North.

“This new service will be the only direct route to India from the North of the UK and will be popular with the more than half a million people with Indian heritage who live within Manchester Airport’s catchment area.

“We also know that connectivity is a key enabler of trade and productivity. By providing direct access to the world’s fastest-growing major economy, this route will deliver a significant boost to the government’s economic growth mission and comes on the back of positive progress towards a UK-India trade deal.

“It's an exciting time for relations between the North of England and India, with a new Indian Consulate opening in Manchester this weekend and a number of cultural, sporting, social and economic partnerships being agreed in recent months. For many years, the region has worked hard to create ever-closer ties with India and there is much on the horizon - including this summer's England vs India Test series.

“I look forward to welcoming IndiGo's team to Manchester, and the UK, and supporting their success and future growth."

 Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo said:

“Today, we unlock a new and very exciting chapter in IndiGo's growth journey, connecting India to the heart of Europe. We're thrilled to announce our first-ever long-haul destinations - Manchester and Amsterdam.

“India has strong ties both with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands for business and tourism; and there is a large Indian diaspora who live in these countries. These new flights will benefit both our existing and potential customers who fly on these routes.

“These new IndiGo long-haul routes are steps towards inching closer to realising our shared vision to build India into a global aviation hub."

“The United Kingdom is an important market for us, and we're excited to announce direct flights between India and Manchester.”

Further details of the route will be announced in the coming weeks before tickets go on sale and the flights start to operate in the summer.