Titanium and its alloys are considered as difficult-to-cut materials due to their inherent properties, such as low thermal conductivity, high cutting temperature, high chemical reactivity and strong adhesion between cutting tool and work material. This paper presents the benefits of thermally assisted machining on machinability improvement in end-milling of titanium alloy by utilising induction coil heating. The effect of online induction heating on the machinability (cutting force, tool life, vibration, and metal removal rate) are widely investigated. End milling tests were conducted on a vertical machining centre. Titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V bar was used as the workpiece. Machining was performed with a 20 mm diameter end-mill tool holder fitted with a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) inserts. Flank wear was considered as the criterion for tool life and the wear was measured using a Hisomet II toolmaker's microscope. The tool life tests were conducted until the flank wear exceeded 0.30 mm. Cutting force measurements were conducted using Kistler rotating cutting forced dynamometer. Vibration during cutting was captured using an online vibration monitoring system. The results lead to conclusions that thermally assisted machining significantly increases the tool life, reduces the vibration and cutting force, and increase the metal removal rate. © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.