Australian High Commission
New Delhi
India, Bhutan

PA/27/13 Direct Air India flights to bring Australia and India closer

PA/27/13                                                                 19 July 2013

Direct Air India flights to bring Australia and India closer

Australia’s Acting High Commissioner to India, Bernard Philip, today welcomed Air India’s announcement that the airline will operate direct daily flights between India and Australia from 29 August.

Air India will be the first airline to fly the new Boeing-787 Dreamliner to Australia.

Mr Philip said “the direct Air India flights are yet another example of the strength in the Australia-India relationship, and the rapidly expanding people-to-people links between our two countries.”

“We expect Indian visitor numbers to Australia to nearly double by 2020, so these direct flights will benefit many Indian business travellers, students, migrants, tourists and families”, he added.

There are around 450,000 People of Indian Origin living in Australia, and in 2012, India became the largest source of skilled migrants to Australia.

In 2012, India was the tenth largest source of visitors to Australia, with 159,000 people travelling, and around 180,000 Australians visit India each year.

Air India is offering promotional fares on the direct route in both directions, which are available for a limited period of time. For details visit www.airindia.in.