THE SIGHTS and sounds of Bollywood greeted passengers at London Stansted yesterday (31) as the airport celebrated the inaugural Air India flight to Amritsar.
Flights will operate three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and the service is the only direct service between London and Amritsar. It is also the first ever scheduled service from London Stansted to India.
The flight will be operated by a 256-seater Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and it also features a tribute to mark the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji, the founder of the Sikh religion.
London Stansted’s CEO, Ken O’Toole said their first ever scheduled service to India was “a clear reflection of the huge demand that exists across North and East London and the East of England for convenient and affordable connections to India.”
O’Toole added: “We have made clear our ambition is to provide passengers with more choice and opportunities to travel long-haul from London Stansted, including services to India as well as direct flights to the USA and China in particular.
"Delivering this new exciting new service with Air India is another significant step in the right direction in meeting our goal.”
Air India’s executive director Aruna Goplakrishnan said the new route will facilitate major business opportunities in both India and the UK.
She said: “London Stansted is positioned at the heart of the UK's Innovation Corridor, adjoining the popular cities of London and Cambridge, which is home to many world-leading universities, research and development organisations, technology, life sciences and technology companies.
“The new route will facilitate major business opportunities in both countries and will further boost business and trade and invite investment building upon the growing business base. Furthermore, this flight will also be in great demand for the Sikh community in London, and perhaps as far away as the East Midlands, wishing to make a pilgrimage to Amritsar’s Golden Temple and elsewhere.”
Zia Yusuf looks on during the party's national conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, Britain, September 5, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes