Why India Is the Real Prize for Virgin Atlantic and WestJet’s New Partnership

Ahead of its return to Canada next month, Virgin Atlantic is laying the groundwork with a new commercial agreement.

Earlier this week, the British carrier announced an enhanced partnership with Calgary-based WestJet. The codeshare deal will start on March 30 to coincide with the launch of Virgin’s new London to Toronto route. 

A codeshare allows airlines to sell seats on a flight operated by the other with each company using their own flight number. For passengers, it means a more streamlined journey with single-ticket itineraries and more efficient baggage handling. For airlines, it broadens the pool of potential customers and should boost sales.

While the deal is an important step towards making Virgin’s new route a commercial success, there’s an even bigger prize in the airline’s sights. In a media release issued on Monday, India was mentioned on four separate occasions. No other countries – aside from Canada and the United Kingdom – were directly refer