Indian Carriers Expand Capacity and Plan New Routes to the Philippines Amid Rising Travel Demand

Indian carriers are expanding their presence in the Philippines market through increased seating capacity and planned route additions. The developments come as trade, tourism, and bilateral cooperation between India and the Philippines continue to grow.

Air India is enhancing capacity on the Delhi-Manila route starting October 25. The airline will deploy a 256-seater twin-class Boeing 787 aircraft, replacing its current daily service operated by a 188-seater Airbus A321 aircraft. Air India initially launched the Delhi-Manila route last October with five weekly flights before scaling it to a daily service.

Meanwhile, IndiGo has sought approval from the Civil Aeronautics Board of the Philippines to launch new flights. According to local media reports, IndiGo intends to operate flights to the capital city of Manila and the island of Cebu. In addition, Philippine Airlines is planning to introduce flights to Delhi and Mumbai during the winter schedule.

These network expansions align with broader bilateral developments, including the elevation of India-Philippines relations to a strategic partnership in 2025. Both nations are collaborating across digital and defence sectors while seeking to increase trade and investments.

Demand for travel to the Southeast Asian nation has risen following the introduction of a visa-free entry scheme for Indian travellers. Over 60,000 Indian nationals visited the Philippines in the first six months of calendar year 2026, representing a 43 per cent increase in arrivals compared to the same period in the previous year.

Industry observers note that traffic on the route largely comprises price-sensitive leisure travellers and those visiting friends and relatives. Ameya Joshi, founder of aviation blog Network Thoughts, pointed out that passenger volumes have grown quarterly since the route's launch, with return load factors touching the low-80s, supporting the deployment of larger aircraft.

Neeraj Singh Dev, executive vice president for domestic and short haul holidays at Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel, highlighted that travel inquiries have increased due to visa-free access and improving air connectivity. Broadening access from multiple Indian metro cities to both Manila and Cebu is expected to further support this growth.

"The expansion of flight routes and aircraft capacity by Indian carriers into the Philippines highlights how favorable bilateral policies and visa-free travel directly stimulate business and leisure mobility. As tourism and trade corridors strengthen between India and Southeast Asian nations, airlines that optimize capacity to match price-sensitive demand segments are well-positioned to capture long-term growth. Improved direct connectivity reduces transit friction, which is a critical catalyst for regional commerce and enterprise travel." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes