Indian budget carrier IndiGo is continuing its expansion into Europe by launching its first route between London and India.

The airline, which only started flights between India and Europe this summer, is due to launch daily services between London Heathrow Airport and Mumbai on 26 October. British Airways, Air India and Virgin Atlantic already operate on this route.

IndiGo will use Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, leased from Norse Atlantic Airways, on the London-Mumbai route. The aircraft includes both economy and business class cabins ¨C the latter is known as IndiGoStretch.

The carrier is already operating flights between Manchester and Mumbai, which started in July, alongside services from Amsterdam to Mumbai. A third European route linking Copenhagen and Mumbai is due to start on Wednesday (8 October), while a second Manchester route to Delhi is scheduled to begin on 15 November.

Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said: ¡°Entering Heathrow, a key global hub known for its scale and connectivity, is both a proud milestone and a strategic step forward in strengthening IndiGo¡¯s global footprint.

¡°The India-United Kingdom corridor has long held significant relevance, not only because of strong bilateral ties, but also due to the growing traffic between the two countries driven by students, visiting friends and relatives, business and leisure travellers.¡±

IndiGo¡¯s new Manchester-Delhi services will operate four times per week, using Boeing 787s.