British Airways expands India summer schedule

British Airways is adding India flights for summer 2026, with extra Heathrow service to Delhi and Mumbai starting in April and May. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The airline began a third daily Delhi-Heathrow flight on April 7 and plans a third daily Mumbai-Heathrow flight from May 15 through May 31. British Airways said the short-term increase adds more than 1,000 seats a week between India and the United Kingdom. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) British Airways already flies from London Heathrow to five Indian cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. Its route network page and India destination pages list those cities as current nonstop markets. (britishairways.com, britishairways.com) The expansion comes as the airline describes India as one of its most important global markets. Parent company International Airlines Group said British Airways saw robust trading in 2025, particularly in premium cabins, even as aircraft availability limited growth in some markets. (devdiscourse.com, iairgroup.com) The India push also fits a broader fight for Heathrow capacity. Heathrow slots are scarce, and industry coverage in late 2025 said British Airways was already operating 56 weekly Heathrow-India flights while looking to add more Delhi service in 2026, subject to approvals. (headforpoints.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com) Recent reporting suggests the summer buildout is larger than the two temporary additions alone. Reuters, via The Hindu, reported British Airways has added more than 7,000 weekly seats from India, seen a 196% jump in travel searches, and expects to operate up to 70 weekly flights between India and Heathrow at peak summer levels. (thehindu.com) That increase is landing as other airlines adjust around disruptions in West Asia, which have reduced some connecting capacity through Gulf hubs. British Airways said it reallocated aircraft to India to capture direct demand between India, London and onward destinations. (thehindubusinessline.com, devdiscourse.com) For travelers, the immediate change is simple: more nonstop seats to Heathrow during the summer peak, especially from Delhi and Mumbai. For British Airways, it is a bet that India-London demand will stay strong enough to justify squeezing more flying into one of the world’s most constrained long-haul markets. (economictimes.indiatimes.com, headforpoints.com)