Key Points
- Air India announces additional flights between Mumbai and Melbourne.
- The airline will operate three flights per week beginning on 15 December.
- Indian community members welcome Air India's decision.
On Tuesday, Melbourne Airport issued a statement welcoming Air India's announcement of new non-stop flights between the Victorian capital and Mumbai (western India).
Air India will conduct three weekly flights departing at 8 pm.
"The new Mumbai service will be operated by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and will supplement Air India’s existing daily flights between Melbourne and Delhi," Melbourne Airport said in a statement.
Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said the announcement highlighted the benefits of open skies agreements.
“Australia and India have an open skies air services agreement which has provided Air India the certainty they need to efficiently announce, put on sale and launch these new flights without the uncertainty associated with bilateral agreements,” he said.
“Open skies and liberal bilateral agreements provide airlines with the certainty they need to add flights and respond to trends as demand for passenger and cargo increases.
“In recent months Melbourne Airport has seen record numbers of Indian visitors travelling through the terminals, and this new service will make it even easier for families to reconnect or for tourists and students to explore our great state.
“Melbourne is home to Australia’s largest Indian population and shares significant cultural ties, which makes it the obvious gateway for travellers from the subcontinent wanting to explore Victoria and beyond,” he said.
“Our data shows that as India’s financial capital, Mumbai is currently Melbourne’s largest international market without non-stop flights, so we expect this service to be very popular in both directions.”
Victoria's Minister for Jobs and Industry Natalie Hutchins also welcomed the news.
“We’re very excited that the first direct flights from Mumbai to Australia will land in Melbourne. This new route will boost tourism, create local jobs and open more pathways for Victorian businesses to reach one of the world’s fastest growing economies,” she said.
In a statement released by the Premier's office, Air India Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer Nipun Aggarwal said, “We look forward to launching the only non-stop flight between Mumbai and Melbourne."
"This is a great step forward in our ongoing transformational program, which among other aspects aims at connecting India to more of the world with non-stop flights,” he said.
Ash Chawla, a former resident of Mumbai who now lives in Melbourne, is thrilled about the news.
"I exclusively use Air India for my travels, and the introduction of direct flights brings a sense of relief since I won't have to concern myself with transit anymore," Mr Chawla said.
He recounted a previous experience when he had to switch flights in Delhi, which turned out to be quite troublesome due to delays in connecting flights.
Before the pandemic, Air India operated only eight direct flights per week to Australia.
However, the number of flights has since increased significantly, reaching a peak of 22 flights per week, operated by both Air India and Qantas, according to Tourism Australia.
"Air India's announcement on Mumbai-Melbourne today adds another 3 flights per week, or 40,000 passengers per year. This is the first time this route has been operated in 40+ years," Tourism Australia said.
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