MUMBAI- Melbourne Airport (MEL) is set to introduce its inaugural non-stop flights from Mumbai (BOM) as Tata-owned Air India (AI) has officially announced the launch of this groundbreaking route starting in December.
As of December 15, the airline will initiate three weekly flights, with the possibility of expanding the frequency in response to growing demand.
Air India Mumbai to Melbourne
This new service connecting Mumbai will be serviced by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and will complement Air India’s current daily flights connecting Melbourne and Delhi.
During the previous fiscal year, Melbourne saw more Indian tourists than any other city in Australia, with 433,000 Indian travelers passing through Victoria’s primary international gateway in the 12 months leading up to June.
The introduction of the new Mumbai-Melbourne service will contribute nearly 40,000 additional seats each year to the Australian state of Victoria.
This is of particular significance given that the Indian community in Victoria exceeds 200,000 individuals, representing approximately 40% of the total Indian diaspora in Australia.
The aim of these new services is to meet the increasing demand for visiting friends and relatives and to capture the growing interest in business and leisure travel to the region.
Executive Insights
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer at Air India, expressed excitement about the forthcoming launch of the sole non-stop flight between Mumbai and Melbourne. This marks a significant step in Air India’s ongoing transformation program, with a key focus on connecting India to more global destinations through non-stop flights.
Aggarwal also emphasized that the flight experience will reflect the evolving standards of Air India, with Indian hospitality playing a central role.
Natalie Hutchins, the Minister for Jobs and Industry in the Victoria State Government, Australia, expressed enthusiasm for the inaugural direct flights from Mumbai to Australia landing in Melbourne.
She anticipates that this new route will bolster tourism, generate local employment opportunities, and provide Victorian businesses with enhanced access to one of the world’s rapidly expanding economies.
Travelers from 17 cities in India will have convenient one-stop connections to and from Melbourne, either through Delhi or Mumbai. The new Mumbai-Melbourne route facilitates smooth two-way connectivity between London Heathrow and Melbourne, with Delhi and Mumbai as connecting points.
The flights operating on the Mumbai-Melbourne route will be serviced by Boeing 787-8, offering 18 flatbed seats in Business Class and 238 spacious seats in Economy.
Open Skies and Bilateral Agreement
Jim Parashos, the Chief of Aviation at Melbourne Airport, emphasized the advantages of open skies agreements in response to this announcement.
“Australia and India benefit from an open skies air services agreement, which has granted Air India the confidence to efficiently announce, market, and launch these new flights, eliminating the uncertainties associated with bilateral agreements,” he stated.
He further added, “Open skies and liberal bilateral agreements provide airlines with the assurance they need to expand their flight offerings and adapt to changing passenger and cargo demand trends. In recent months, Melbourne Airport has witnessed a record influx of Indian visitors passing through our terminals, and this new service will make it even more convenient for families to reunite and for tourists and students to discover our wonderful state.”
Parashos highlighted Melbourne’s significance as the home to Australia’s largest Indian population and its strong cultural connections, making it a natural gateway for travelers from the Indian subcontinent who wish to explore Victoria and beyond.
“Our data indicates that Mumbai, as India’s financial capital, is currently Melbourne’s largest international market without non-stop flights. Therefore, we anticipate this service to be highly popular in both directions,” he concluded.
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