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Air India, the leading airline connecting India and the United Kingdom, faces increasing competition from British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and India's low-cost carrier IndiGo. Despite pressures, Air India aims to expand its market share through strategic route optimization and upgrades to its onboard services.
Speaking to Rhys Jones from Head for Points, CEO Campbell Wilson expressed Air India's ambition, noting, "We are only scratching the surface, really, of the opportunity that is present between the two countries..." He cited access to aircraft as the main constraint in expanding their network.
Currently, Air India operates routes from major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore to London Heathrow, with additional services from secondary cities to Gatwick. Birmingham is notable for its focus on visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic. Aviation consultant Rishi Jain emphasized Birmingham's strategic importance, stating, "You can't run a massive hub, a massive focus city abroad for Indians via a very pricey airport, because they want dirt-cheap tickets."
