Air India on Tuesday announced its plans to inaugurate a direct flight service from Mumbai to Melbourne, Australia, commencing on December 15. The development comes in a bid to expand the airline’s global route network.
This new route will feature three weekly flights, contributing approximately 40,000 additional seats per year to the Australian state of Victoria, according to a statement released by Air India.
Presently, Air India operates daily flights connecting Delhi to Melbourne and Sydney, offering 28 weekly flights that bridge India and Australia. The state of Victoria is home to an estimated 200,000 members of the Indian diaspora, constituting about 40 percent of the total Indian diaspora in Australia, as reported by the private airline.
Enhancing global connectivity
These new flight services aim to meet the surging demand for visits to friends and family, as well as to tap into the growing interest in business and leisure travel to the region, the airline stated.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer at Air India, expressed anticipation for the launch of the exclusive non-stop flight between Mumbai and Melbourne. He characterised this development as a significant step in Air India’s ongoing transformation program, which seeks to enhance global connectivity by introducing non-stop flights between India and other parts of the world.
Air India to fly Mumbai-Melbourne route
Air India noted that travelers from 17 Indian cities will have the option of convenient one-stop connections to and from Melbourne through Delhi or Mumbai. The Mumbai-Melbourne route will be serviced by Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, configured with 18 flat beds in the business class and 238 seats in the economy class. This setup will enable seamless two-way travel between London Heathrow and Melbourne, connecting through Delhi and Mumbai, as highlighted by Air India.
Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Jobs and Industry in the Victoria State Government, Australia, expressed excitement about the arrival of the first direct flights from Mumbai to Australia, which are set to land in Melbourne. She highlighted that this new route is expected to boost tourism, generate local employment opportunities, and create more avenues for Victorian businesses to access one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.