Cheaper indirect routes pull Indian flyers away from direct Europe flights

India is losing out on traffic to Europe on direct flights, as major hubs in West Asia and some in Europe offer lower fares for reaching cities like London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Istanbul, and Milan indirectly through their hubs. 

With a large volume of traffic flying indirectly, aviation research company OAG says a low-cost carrier (LCC) like IndiGo is well-positioned to sway these flyers from indirect to direct flights by leveraging its low-cost model. 

Data from OAG, covering December 2023 to November 2024, shows that as much as a third of flyers between Mumbai and London and a fourth of flyers from Delhi to London travel indirectly. As much as 42 per cent of flyers from Mumbai to Paris and 65 per cent from the city to Amsterdam fly indirectly. Meanwhile, 60 per cent of those travelling from Delhi to Milan and nearly a fourth of flyers between Mumbai and Frankfurt fly indirectly — despite Lufthansa’s strong Indian operations. Even Turkish Airlines, which has an aggressive presence in India, still sees 18 per cent of flyers opting for indirect flights to reach Istanbul from Mumbai. 

London is the jewel in the crown. During this period, 99,191 passengers from Mumbai travelled indirectly, while 233,100 took direct flights. From Delhi, 102,028 passengers flew indirectly to London, while 316,111 chose direct flights. 

 

Explaining the trend, Anil Kalsi, vice-president of the Travel Agents Federation of India, says, “Indians are cost-conscious, and indirect flights can be anywhere between Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 cheaper than direct flights. Numerous airlines, including Gulf Air, Oman Air, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways, and in Europe, Air Astana, LOT Polish Airlines, and Turkish Airlines, offer attractive prices. Some tourists also use stopovers to visit more places.” 

However, he points out that LCCs on long-haul routes could change the game, as is expected with IndiGo. OAG notes that IndiGo, which had originally planned its long-haul flights for 2027 (covering destinations across Europe), could prepone its launch to 2025. This is because the airline has signed an agreement to wet lease Boeing B787 aircraft from LCC Norse Atlantic Airways, which operates long-haul flights. 

IndiGo is expected to take at least six of its aircraft to achieve scale and operational efficiency. Previously, the airline had planned to launch long-haul flights only after receiving delivery of the 30 widebodied A350 aircraft it had ordered, starting in 2027.