Delta Air Lines Partners with IndiGo to Expand in India

Delta Air Lines is expanding its network to India.

On Thursday, Delta announced an expanded partnership with IndiGo, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic. The deal connects Delta’s North American network to Air France’s in Europe, Virgin’s in the U.K., and IndiGo’s extensive network in India, with the goal of giving flyers on each airline broader access in those regions.

The move comes as IndiGo—founded by a U.S.-based expatriate Indian in 2005—continues to say it wants to be a global airline by 2030.

IndiGo already partners with Air France and Virgin Atlantic, giving flyers on those two airlines access to more than 30 points in India. This new partnership brings Delta into the mix, further strengthening the connections between North America, Europe, and India.

According to the airlines, the partnership will provide more seamless travel across dozens of cities in the United States, Canada, Europe, and India, while laying the groundwork for more cooperation in areas such as technology and service delivery.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers called it “an ambitious journey to become a global airline by 2030,” adding that the partnership marks the start of IndiGo’s long-haul expansion this summer and a chance to “exchange best practices in areas of technology, operational excellence and service delivery.”

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the agreement reflects Delta’s commitment to “making travel more connected, more inclusive and more accessible,” and added that Delta plans to restart direct service from the U.S. to India in the near future.

The expanded partnership also comes as India continues to grow as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, with demand for international travel on the rise.