UK's Virgin Atlantic enters code share pact with India's Jet Airways for better flight connections

Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Rt. Hon Lord Francis Maude of Horsham, the United Kingdom announced a code-share agreement between British airline Virgin Atlantic and Indian carrier Jet Airways here today.

Speaking on the third leg of a three-city visit to India, Lord Maude said, "This partnership between prominent British and Indian airlines will help ease air travel for thousands of passengers, improving connectivity between the UK and four major Indian cities. It is an excellent example of strengthening ties between two countries and embodies the spirit of our great collaboration campaign".

Virgin Atlantic and Jet Airways expanded their code share agreement in August 2015 offering new travel options from four Indian cities. The code will now allow the Virgin and Jet customers to buy tickets from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata connecting to Virgin Atlantic's Delhi, London Heathrow and vice-versa.

Customers get the convenience of having all of their boarding passes issued at the originating airport on these routes, whether their travel originates in the India or UK.

Nick Parker, Head of India and Middle East at Virgin Atlantic said, "In addition to our daily direct service between Delhi and London, it's really important for us to be able to offer our customers convenient connections to get to where they want to fly." He also added that as part of our commitment to the Indian market we already operate a successful code share with Jet Airways between Mumbai and London.

Lord Maude's visit is focusing on deepening commercial ties between the UK and India and highlights how the UK's unique offer to India complements Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aspirations for India.

Lord Maude unveiled a limited edition portrait of the Queen taken by renowned British photographer David Bailey as a part of the celebrations on the first day of his visit.

He also visited the MMTC-PAMP facility outside Delhi, which has a partnership with the UK's Royal Mint. The Minister also selected a sovereign that would be sent back to London as part of the Trial of the Pyx, a millennium old tradition where coins are tested to ensure that they are within the statutory limits for metallic composition, weight and size.

The Minister toured with the MMTC-PAMP MD, Rajesh Khosla and the royal mint representative Martyn Smith. The visit is ahead of an India-UK business convention that will have major British and Indian CEOs including the top investors in India. Lord Maude will deliver the keynote address to the convention extending his support for trade and investment between two countries.

Lord Maude will also launch "India's Smart Cities Programme" that scopes the potential opportunities for both UK and Indian companies making 100 smart cities in India, an ambition by the Indian PM Narendra Modi.