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30-Aug-2013 12:41 PM

Air India launches Sydney-Melbourne-Delhi service, back in Australian market after 16 years

Air India launched (30-Aug-2013) services between India and Australia with Boeing 787 aircraft on 30-Aug-2013, with an inaugural Delhi-Sydney-Melbourne-Delhi service, becoming the first carrier to deploy 787 aircraft to the Australian continent. Air India chairman and MD Rohit Nandan said: "The flight is being looked at by both the Australian and the Indian travel market with a lot of enthusiasm and hope as it will not only service the Indian Diaspora in Australia and other countries like New Zealand and the Fiji islands but also the student community from India to Australia and holiday travellers between India and Australia". The Air India service will be operated daily on a triangular route connecting both Sydney and Melbourne, operated four times weekly as Sydney-Melbourne-Delhi route (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) and three times weekly (Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays) on Melbourne-Sydney-Delhi routing. The service has a flying time of around 12.5 hours. Air India previously operated to Australia, operating its first service to Sydney via Singapore from Mumbai in Oct-1956 with an L-749A Constellation aircraft. In 1962, the carrier deployed 707 aircraft on the Sydney route via Bangkok. The carrier last operated in the Australian market 16 years ago in Jun-1997 when it terminated services to/from Perth. The last operating to Sydney was in Jan-1991 (weekly service via Singapore) with the last Melbourne service operated by the carrier in Apr-1981. [more - original PR]

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