petition addressed to

Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri Suvendu Adhikari
Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India
Air India
British Airways
Virgin Atlantic
IndiGo
Kolkata Airport authorities
UK–India aviation and trade stakeholders

Petition Text

We, the Bengali and Indian community living in the United Kingdom and across the world, respectfully request the urgent restoration of direct flights between London and Kolkata.

This petition is addressed to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri Suvendu Adhikari, and to all relevant aviation authorities and airlines.

London and Kolkata share deep family, cultural, educational, business and historical connections. Thousands of Bengalis, Indians, students, tourists, business travellers and elderly passengers travel between the UK and West Bengal every year.

At present, most passengers are forced to travel through connecting hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi or other airports. This increases travel time, cost, inconvenience and stress, especially for elderly parents, families with children, medical travellers and people travelling during emergencies.

A direct London–Kolkata flight would:

Help families stay connected
Support elderly and vulnerable travellers
Boost tourism in West Bengal
Encourage UK–Bengal business and investment
Help students and professionals
Strengthen cultural ties between Bengal and the UK
Improve Kolkata’s position as an international gateway
We respectfully request Shri Suvendu Adhikari and the Government of West Bengal to take up this matter with the Government of India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, airlines and airport authorities.

We also request Air India, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, IndiGo and other airlines to seriously assess the demand for a direct London–Kolkata route.

This is a people’s demand. This is a diaspora demand. This is a Bengal connectivity demand.

Please sign and share this petition to support the restoration of direct flights between London and Kolkata.