Manila flies direct to New Delhi on Air India, the first and so far only nonstop connection between the Philippines and India, with a flight time of around 6 hours 45 minutes. This route only began in October 2025, making it one of the newest long-haul connections out of Manila and a genuinely new travel option for both countries' business and diaspora communities. Traveloka compares current schedules and fares for this route so you can plan your trip to Delhi, whether you're traveling for business, visiting family, or exploring India for the first time.

Air India: currently the only airline flying this route nonstop

Air India launched nonstop Delhi-Manila service on October 1, 2025, and remains the sole carrier operating this specific pairing nonstop as of today. The airline flies an Airbus A321neo with a three-class cabin, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy, a notably fuller cabin configuration than many other Manila long-haul routes offer. Being the only nonstop carrier on a brand-new long-haul route is a genuinely unusual position for Air India to hold, and it's worth checking current availability well ahead of your trip while that remains the case, particularly around either country's peak holiday travel windows.

Why there was no direct Philippines-India flight before October 2025

Despite the two countries' large populations and growing trade and diaspora ties, no airline had connected Manila and Delhi nonstop before Air India's launch, with travelers previously routing through Singapore, Hong Kong, or the Middle East instead. That gap reflected relatively thin historical demand rather than any operational barrier, and Air India's launch is itself a bet that demand has grown enough to justify direct service. Travelers used to booking a one-stop itinerary between the two countries should double-check current options, since the nonstop alternative genuinely didn't exist until quite recently, and old travel habits built around a connection are worth revisiting now that a direct option exists.

Air India's schedule and aircraft

Air India runs this route several times a week using its A321neo, with flights typically departing Manila in the evening and arriving in Delhi in the early morning. The three-class cabin, including genuine lie-flat-adjacent Business seating and a Premium Economy tier, is a real step up from the two-class configuration on several other Manila long-haul routes. That cabin product is a meaningful selling point for business travelers on this specific route, since it's not something every long-haul option out of Manila currently offers. The evening departure timing also works well for travelers wanting a full day in Manila before heading to the airport.

Philippine Airlines' planned nonstop service, starting December 2026

Philippine Airlines has announced plans to launch its own nonstop Manila-Delhi service in December 2026, flying an A321neo with 12 lie-flat Business seats and 156 Economy seats, three times a week. This service isn't operating yet, and PAL's own announcement notes it remains pending Indian government approval and final operating arrangements, so travelers should treat it as a planned future option rather than something bookable today. Checking PAL's own announcements closer to the proposed launch date is worth doing before assuming the service has actually started flying.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport

NAIA handles this route as one of its newer long-haul international departures, alongside its established European, North American, and Middle Eastern connections. As India-Philippines travel demand grows, this route adds a genuinely new region to NAIA's long-haul map rather than just another frequency increase on an existing one. Travelers connecting from a domestic flight onto this route should build in the usual buffer NAIA's busier international terminals require.

Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi

Delhi's airport is one of Asia's busiest, and travelers arriving from Manila will find a considerably larger-scale operation than what a Philippine domestic or even most international routes prepare you for. Clear English-language signage and well-established immigration processes make it manageable even for first-time visitors to India. Prepaid taxi counters and a metro connection both link the airport into central Delhi, giving arriving travelers a straightforward way into the city.

Visa requirements for Filipinos visiting India

Philippine passport holders need a visa to enter India, though India's e-Visa system allows this to be arranged online ahead of travel rather than requiring an in-person embassy visit, a considerably simpler process than some other visa-required destinations. Applying with enough lead time before your trip is worth doing rather than assuming same-day approval, since processing times can vary and a rejected or delayed application close to your travel date leaves little room to adjust your plans afterward.

Visa requirements for Indians visiting the Philippines

Indian passport holders traveling to the Philippines can generally use an e-Visa system on the Philippine side as well, part of a broader effort by both countries to make this new direct route easier to actually use for tourism and business travel in both directions. Confirming the current specific requirements before travel is still worth doing, since visa policy on both sides can be updated as the route matures.

Who books this route

This route draws business travelers connected to the two countries' growing trade and outsourcing ties, a smaller but genuine tourism market curious about both India's heritage sites and the Philippines' beaches, and members of each country's community in the other drawn by family and cultural connections. That mixed demand base is part of why Air India judged the route worth launching after decades without one. A steady base of students and professionals moving between the two countries for education and work opportunities adds a further layer of demand beyond pure leisure or business travel.

Best time to book this route

Fares and availability tighten around both countries' major holiday periods, Diwali and the Philippine Christmas season chief among them, when travel among both diaspora communities and general leisure travelers peaks simultaneously. Booking a few weeks ahead of those windows is worth doing on a route this new, since schedule and fare patterns haven't fully settled yet on either side of this newly opened corridor.

Weather considerations on this route

Delhi's climate runs to extremes, with summer heat that can be intense and a distinct monsoon season, while Manila's own weather patterns follow the Philippines' typical wet-and-dry cycle. Neither city's weather is likely to disrupt this specific long-haul flight the way a smaller regional airport's weather might, but travelers should still pack for genuinely different climate conditions at each end.

Baggage and check-in tips

Air India's three-class cabin comes with correspondingly tiered baggage allowances, so checking your specific fare class's allocation before packing for this long-haul route is worth doing. Online check-in is available and worth using given how new this route is to NAIA's schedule, since ground staff familiarity with a brand-new route can vary in its first year or two. Arriving with a bit of extra buffer before your flight is a sensible precaution on any newly launched long-haul route while its ground operations are still settling in.

What changes once PAL's flight launches

Once Philippine Airlines' own nonstop service begins, assuming it clears its pending approvals, travelers on this route will have a genuine choice between two carriers for the first time, likely improving both schedule flexibility and competitive pricing. Until then, Air India remains the only way to fly this route without a connection, so its schedule is effectively the only one that matters for nonstop planning today. Checking back on this route periodically as December 2026 approaches is worth doing if PAL's own cabin product or schedule would meaningfully change your travel plans.

India-Philippines trade and business ties

Growing trade, IT outsourcing, and business-process ties between the two countries have been a big part of the case for direct air service, adding a steady stream of corporate travelers to what was once a route with no realistic nonstop option at all. That business demand, layered on top of a modest but growing tourism and diaspora market, is likely part of why two airlines now see enough opportunity here to justify competing nonstop services within roughly a year of each other. India's own growing outbound tourism market adds a further layer of demand that simply didn't exist in any meaningful way the last time anyone seriously considered flying this exact route.

Why book this route on Traveloka

Traveloka lets you check Air India's current Manila-Delhi schedule and fares in one place, useful on a route this new where schedule details can still shift. You can also set a Price Alert to track fare changes, and revisit this route once Philippine Airlines' own service launches for a direct comparison between the two carriers on cabin product and fare.

As the first and, for now, only nonstop connection between the Philippines and India, this route opens a genuinely new travel corridor for both countries. Compare current fares and departure times for Manila to New Delhi flights on Traveloka, and check the Manila to Mumbai route if Mumbai fits your India itinerary better, particularly if your trip is centered more on business or India's financial capital than the capital region.