Jet Airways has announced it will operate a new four flights per week service to Mumbai from Manchester.

Manchester will become the 66th addition to the Jet Airways network and its 21st international destination.

With the introduction of the new flight - the carrier’s 5th non-stop service to/from the UK, Jet Airways will also become the largest carrier between Mumbai and the UK.

The launch of this new service will provide connectivity to nearly 35 domestic destinations to and from India which include Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bhuj, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Aurangabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Nagpur, Rajkot, Raipur, Udaipur, via the airline’s HUB, Mumbai.

The carrier has existing three daily, non-stop services between London Heathrow and Mumbai, and once a day service between London Heathrow and Delhi.

The launch of the new route comes one year after the airline launched three new international services last year on 29th October to Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai, from Amsterdam, Paris and London respectively.

Vinay Dube, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways said: “We are extremely pleased to begin a new chapter in our decade-long relationship with the United Kingdom.

"The new service will bring Manchester into our global network, reinforcing our global footprint, as well as expanding the choice of connectivity to and from the United Kingdom for our guests with the four days a week, non-stop service. With the new flight, "Jet Airways will have over 8,000 seats on offer every week, making it increasingly convenient for both business and leisure travelers to travel between the UK and India. This will deepen both commerce and tourism ties between the two countries”.

Manchester Airport CEO Andrew Cowan, who said: “Securing a direct service to one of India’s major cities is the product of a lot of hard work over a long period of time to forge closer ties between Manchester and this globally significant economy.

"We have worked, along with a range of partners, to create a compelling case for why our city – and the wider North – is a great place to visit, invest in and do business with.

"I am delighted Jet Airways have recognised this by launching what I’m sure will be a hugely popular service, not least for the 500,000 people of Indian origin living across the North."

"This route will deliver a major boost to businesses looking to export to the world’s fastest-growing economy, as well as helping to attract Indian visitors and investors to the North. We look forward to working with Jet Airways on launching the Mumbai service in the months ahead.”

High Commissioner of India to the UK, Mr Y. K. Sinha, said: “I am delighted that Manchester will be directly connected to Mumbai in November when Jet Airways commences operations on this sector.

“Both the cities are vibrant commercial hubs and a direct flight will not only promote tourism but also enhance our multifaceted engagement.

"With India emerging as the fastest growing large economy in the world and Manchester becoming an increasingly important tech and innovation centre, this new service will drive growth in the Northern Powerhouse by directly linking it with India’s commercial capital, further strengthening the Manchester India Partnership.”

Lord Jim O’Neill of Gatley, who coined the BRICs phrase to the refer to the high growth economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, said: “Adding Manchester to Mumbai as a direct route, in addition to China a couple of years ago, shows once more, the pioneering leadership of Manchester Airport, opening itself and the whole Northern Powerhouse to the only two countries in the world with more than a billion people each, and with India, an economy that can probably see its GDP growth rates surpassing even those of China over much of the next 15 years.”

Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said: "CII has supported and facilitated the case for direct air route between India and Manchester.

"Therefore, this news is an important and very welcome step in increasing the business footprint of Indian industry in Manchester and surrounding regions in the North. Increased connectivity will strengthen the scope for greater economic collaboration. It will encourage Indian companies to explore the Northern Powerhouse for the establishment and expansion of their footprint in the region."

The flight, 9W 129 will depart from Manchester Terminal 2 at 0935 hrs (Local time) and arrive in Mumbai’s Terminal 2 at 0040 hrs (Local time). Return flights from Mumbai will leave at 0230 hrs (Local time) and arrive in Manchester at 0755 hrs (Local time).

The flights are scheduled begin in November.