Star Alliance carrier Air India will launch a new Mumbai-Melbourne route in December, Melbourne airport has confirmed.
This will be the first nonstop route between Victoria and Mumbai.
Air India confirmed it would operate three flights a week beginning on 15 December, with potential to increase as demand grows.
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.
Last financial year Melbourne welcomed more Indian visitors than any other Australian city with 433,000 Indian residents flying in and out of Victoria’s international gateway in the 12 months to June.
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.”
Air India’s flights from Mumbai to Melbourne will depart the Indian city at 0050 every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and arrive in Australia at 1810 local time. They take back off at 2000 and arrive in Mumbai the following early morning at 0235.
Air India’s 787-8 Dreamliners have 18 lie-flat business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, and 238 economy class seats configured 3-3-3.