Qantas To Operate Direct Sydney-Mumbai Flights

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Sydney, March 5: Airline major qantas will operate direct services linking Sydney to Mumbai beginning September this year in view of a double-digit spurt in the number of tourist arrivals from India.

Qantas will fly direct services between Mumbai and Sydney, three times per week and the Mumbai services would operate in two-class beoing 747-300 aricraft. The services would commence from September 1, 2004, executive general manager of Qantas Airlines John Borghetti, said here on Thursday.

“Australia has seen a double-digit increase in the number of tourist arrivals from India over the past decade - with an average annual growth of approximately 17 per cent,” Australian tourist commission general manager, South & South-East Asia Maggie White said.

These new services connecting the two commercial capitals, for the first time, will operate non-stop to Mumbai, leaving Sydney on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. “India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the burgeoning trade relationship between Australia and India has increased demand for business travel between our two countries,” Mr Borghetti said.

Air India is still looking at Australia, but it doesn’t have aircraft at the moment to divert to this route, Air-India manager in Sydney Geeta Kapoor, who feels Qantas will probably enter into code-share arrangement with Air-India, said.

“The move will strengthen our relationship and jointly we will pick more market share from other airlines. It is a positive sign for both and will increase economies and exchanges,” Ms Kapoor said.

Tourism is expected to be the immediate beneficiary from direct flights. “The announcement by Qantas to introduce new services to India will help stimulate tourism growth from this emerging market. The new services will provide Indian travellers the option to fly direct to Australia,” Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) managing director, Ken Boundy said.