Manchester Airport spies Indian air link

Officials at Manchester Airport have stepped up efforts to reinstate direct flights to India, according to a report in economic development website Regen.net.

The northern gateway has not offered services to India since the late 1990s, but it is now seeking to capitalise on heightened demand for Asian routes.

Kingfisher, which already operates flights to London Heathrow Airport, is among the airlines that has reportedly expressed interest in expanding its UK presence.

Manchester Airport spokesman Andrew Harrison said the route would benefit Indian communities in Britain, and he dismissed suggestions that Birmingham is a better choice.

"There is a perception that the Indian population in England is in the Midlands," Mr Harrison noted. "What we have to feed back to [Indian carriers] is, where are the businesses?"

A corporate leader in the region also told Regen.net: "I think people in India still believe that Birmingham is the second city. Let me tell you right now that it is not; Manchester is."

Last month, British Airways announced that it will soon be offering connecting services from five Indian cities to Las Vegas via Heathrow Airport.

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