AI resumes services to Rome; IndiGo to offer flights from Delhi to Heathrow

Air India on Wednesday said it will resume non-stop flights between Delhi and Rome, marking its return to the Italian capital after nearly six years. Services on the route had remained suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The national carrier will operate four weekly flights between Delhi and Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (Fiumicino), starting March 25, 2026. The flights will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using Boeing 787-8 aircraft.

The relaunch comes just ahead of the peak European travel season, offering Indian travellers a direct gateway to Italy for spring and summer travel. For passengers flying from Rome, the service will also provide onward connectivity to Southeast Asia via Air India’s expanding hub at Delhi.

In a parallel move, IndiGo also announced the launch of direct flights between Delhi and Heathrow airport in London, effective February 2, 2026. The airline will operate the route five times a week using Boeing 787 aircraft, taken on wet or damp lease from Norse Atlantic Airways.

IndiGo already operates daily non-stop services between Mumbai and London Heathrow. With the addition of the Delhi-London route, the airline will operate a total of 12 weekly flights to Heathrow, strengthening its footprint on one of the most competitive long-haul corridors.

The new London service is part of IndiGo’s rapid international expansion from the national capital. Over recent months, the airline has launched direct flights from Delhi to destinations including Denpasar (Bali), Krabi, Hanoi, Guangzhou and Manchester. It has also announced plans to begin direct services to Athens from January 2026.

According to the airline, IndiGo has added 10 new international destinations and over 30 new international routes from various Indian cities in the past 12 months.