Air India mounting New Delhi-Manila flights

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will be connected directly to one of the biggest economies in Asia, as Air India is set to operate non-stop flights between Manila and New Delhi by October.

Flag carrier Air India yesterday said it is mounting direct flights between Manila and New Delhi starting Oct. 1 in line with the airline’s expansion into Southeast Asia.

Air India will operate the flight five times a week, deploying an Airbus A321 to serve the seven-hour trip.

Air India is the lone carrier that would connect the Philippines and India on a non-stop service. Last year, Philippine Airlines signaled that it is interested in linking the two routes but at that time, the carrier was caught in a supply crunch for jet engines.

Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the Philippines stands to gain from the entry of more tourists from India with the launch of Manila-New Delhi flights.

“That’s good because India is a big market, a growing economy, with a lot of outbound travelers who are big spenders,” Arcilla said.

Arcilla also views Air India’s entry as the start of more connections between Manila and other cities in India such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

“That (opening of more flights) usually follows after the main gateway is developed, because it takes a lot of resources also to develop secondary gateways,” Arcilla said.

In an advisory, CAB reminded airport authorities of the visa-free policy for Indian nationals. As approved, Indians may enter the Philippines without visa for 14 days for tourism, provided their passports are valid for at least six months.

Likewise, Indians holding an American, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore or UK residence permit may enter the country visa-free for 30 days for leisure. CAB, however, said Indian tourists must have no derogatory record upon arrival into the Philippines.

Still, CAB said Indians going to the country for long-term visits and non-tourism activities have to apply for the appropriate visa.

Based on data from the Department of Tourism, India is the Philippines’ 13th largest market for foreign visitors, reaching nearly 79,000 in 2024.