Air India to Australia????

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20 years 11 months

Posts: 12,842

ATW online

Australia and India entered into a more liberal air services agreement that will open the door for airlines from both countries to establish commercial partnerships and develop services.The new accord, announced on the eve of Australian Prime Minister John Howard's visit to India, provides for multiple designation of carriers, codesharing and service on more routes.

Qantas, with three flights per week to Mumbai, is the only airline that currently operates direct service between the countries. It also plans to expand access to the fast-growing market by establishing links to Delhi. A number of Indian operators, including Air India and Jet Airways, are believed to be considering introducing Australian service.

The Union Cabinet in India approved the revised pact Saturday. Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.R. Dasmunshi told reporters that under the new agreement, both countries will have "the right to designate as many airlines as they wish." The opening up of air services between the countries is expected to stimulate trade and tourism and encourage greater investment.

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,536

Direct MEL-DEL services please. :D

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,956

You know, there are just some services where one has to wonder, "why isn't there one?" This is surely one of them. Australia, to the best of my knowledge, has a sizeable Indian population. Surely Air India would offer at least a 3-4 times weekly SYD/MEL run.