Vistara, which is a joint venture between India’s Tata group and Singapore Airlines, will operate three times per week on Mumbai route starting on 16 January.

The new route will complement Vistara’s existing route between Heathrow and Delhi which launched in August. Both routes are part of a “transport bubble” bilateral deal between the UK and India.

The Mumbai-Heathrow service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using a three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Economy fares start from £439pp.

Scheduled international flights to India have been suspended since 23 March due to the pandemic, although some international services have been operating since July through bilateral bubble agreements.

Leslie Thng, Vistara’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted at the very positive response to our service between Delhi and Heathrow, which has encouraged us to further strengthen the network by adding connectivity from Mumbai, as we see considerable demand between the two countries and remain optimistic about the future.”