On Sunday, June 1, 2025, a major strategic partnership was announced involving four prominent airlines: IndiGo, Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic. This collaboration is set to significantly enhance air travel connectivity between India, Europe, and North America. The primary goal of this alliance is to cater to the increasing demand for international travel by linking dozens of cities across these continents, while also aiming to establish new standards for connectivity and cooperation within the global aviation industry.

The formal announcement of this partnership took place at a joint briefing in New Delhi, attended by the chief executive officers of the participating airlines: Pieter Elbers of IndiGo, Ed Bastian of Delta Air Lines, Benjamin Smith of Air France-KLM, and Shai Weiss of Virgin Atlantic. IndiGo, which holds the position of India's largest airline, is currently in the process of expanding its international network. The airline has ambitious plans to commence flights to ten new overseas cities during the current fiscal year, which concludes in March 2026. It is also important to note that IndiGo has had existing partnership agreements with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic since 2022, which this new collaboration builds upon.

Highlighting future developments, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian stated that the American carrier intends to restart its flight services to India in the coming years. As part of this plan, Delta aims to reintroduce direct flights between Atlanta and Delhi, contingent upon receiving the necessary governmental approvals. This renewed focus on the Indian market comes as India is recognized as one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets. The collective efforts of these four airlines are expected to provide passengers with improved travel options and a more seamless experience when flying between India, Europe, and North America.