- First ever non-stop flight between Mumbai and Melbourne
- Only current non-stop operation between Mumbai and Australia
- Two-way connectivity between London Heathrow and Melbourne via Delhi and Mumbai
- Promotional fares start from INR 48,999 per person Economy return
India, 31 October 2023: Air India, India’s leading global airline, today announced it will be launching the first-ever non-stop services to Melbourne in Australia from Mumbai, as it expands its global route network.
Air India will operate three times a week between Mumbai and Melbourne starting 15 December 2023, becoming the only non-stop operator between Mumbai and Australia currently.
The new Mumbai-Melbourne services will add nearly 40,000 seats per year into the Australian state of Victoria, where the Indian community is estimated at over 200,000, constituting about 40% of the total Indian diaspora in Australia. The new services aim to respond to the growing demand to visit friends and relatives as well as to capture demand for business and leisure travel to the region.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, Air India, said: “We look forward to launching the only non-stop flight between Mumbai and Melbourne. This is a great step forward in our ongoing transformation programme, which among other aspects aims at connecting India to more of the world with non-stop flights. We are excited to showcase the positively changing Air India flying experience to travellers on this route, of which great Indian hospitality will remain a cornerstone.”
Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Jobs and Industry, Victoria State Government, Australia, said: “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.”
Travellers from 17 Indian cities can take convenient, one-stop connections to and from Melbourne via Delhi or Mumbai. The new Mumbai-Melbourne route further enables seamless two-way connectivity between London Heathrow and Melbourne via Delhi and Mumbai.
The flights on the Mumbai-Melbourne route will be operated by Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 18 flat beds in Business Class and 238 spacious seats in Economy.
SCHEDULE OF FLIGHTS BETWEEN MUMBAI AND MELBOURNE
| Flight # | Days of Operation | From | To | Departure | Arrival |
| AI310 | Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays | Mumbai | Melbourne | 0050 Hrs | 1810 Hrs |
| AI311 | Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays | Melbourne | Mumbai | 2000 Hrs | 0235 Hrs (+1) |
Departure and arrival times are displayed in local times. +1 denotes next day arrival.
Flights are on sale on Air India’s website (www.airindia.com), mobile app, and through travel agents worldwide. Promotional all-inclusive, round-trip fares start from INR 48,999 in Economy.
Air India currently operates daily flights to Melbourne and Sydney from its home in Delhi, flying 28 times every week between India and Australia.
About Air India:
Founded by the legendary JRD Tata, Air India pioneered India’s aviation sector. Since its first flight on October 15, 1932, Air India has built an extensive domestic network with non-stop flights to cities around the world, across the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Far East, South-East Asia, Australia, and the Gulf. After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were welcomed back into the Tata group in January 2022.
Air India is navigating through a major five-year transformation roadmap under the aegis of Vihaan.AI, with an ambition to become a world class airline with an Indian heart. The first phase of this transformation, the taxi phase was recently concluded, and focused on fixing the basics. These included bringing back to service many long grounded aircraft, addition of talent across flying and ground functions, rapid upgradation of technology and strengthening of customer care initiatives amongst others.
A member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline consortium of leading international airlines, Air India offers seamless connectivity and facilities to passengers all over the world.
