NEW DELHI: India's largest airline in terms of passenger volume Indigo today (Oct 8) launched its direct long-haul service connecting Mumbai and Copenhagen. This marks the airline’s debut in the Scandinavian region.
Indigo will operate its service thrice a week with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft taken on lease from Norse Atlantic Airways, said an official release. Copenhagen becomes IndiGo’s fourth destination in Europe after Istanbul, Manchester and Amsterdam. The upcoming launches in this continent are London and Athens, it said.
“Given the growing ties between India and Northern Europe, this route plays an increasingly important role in trade, tourism and cultural exchange between the regions,” the release said. This new direct connection will enhance connectivity between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai and the Copenhagen airport, which is the busiest one in Scandinavia, it added.
While offering Indian travellers seamless access to onward destinations across the Nordics, the new route will open up IndiGo’s unparalleled Indian network of over 90 destinations for flyers from Scandinavia, it added.
“With the launch of our third long-haul route between Mumbai and Copenhagen, IndiGo unlocks a strategic gateway to the Nordic region as we continue to deepen our presence in Europe. This is a key step in our global growth journey ‘towards new heights, across new frontiers", said Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, in the company statement.
The Indigo release quoted Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen, Denmark's Ambassador to India; “A new direct route between Mumbai and Copenhagen is a very positive and tangible symbol of the strong partnership between Denmark and India. Increased connectivity will undoubtedly benefit cultural and economic ties between our two countries.”
“Ever since the announcement of India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership by the leadership of both countries in 2020, bilateral relations have encompassed business, cultural and tourist ties, academia, research and innovation, and tourism. Direct connection between Mumbai and Copenhagen would further boost these ties and even serve the greater Nordic market as well as facilitate further connections from Mumbai to other destinations in Asia,” stated Indian ambassador to Denmark, Manish Prabhat.
