Air India eyes more flights to Australia
The Star Alliance member sees “a huge amount of opportunity to grow” while also sharpening its focus on premium travellers.
By David Flynn, October 10 2024
Air India is gearing up for rapid growth in Australia, its prospects buoyed by new first and business class suites and a rebooted frequent flyer program.
They’re all key elements as the now-privatised airline – now owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group – refines its approach to win over premium flyers, including business travellers and corporate giants, along with discerning leisure travellers.
Australia holds “plenty of untapped potential” for Air India, CEO Campbell Wilson revealed at a recent airline industry conference in Brisbane.
“Clearly there’s a huge amount of opportunity to grow, not just in terms of frequency, but certainly in respect of city coverage.”
The Star Alliance member currently flies “only to Sydney and Melbourne, and only 17 times a week,” he said.
“We see a significant opportunity with the Indian diaspora, and Australia is ranked, I think, in the top three of the markets Indians want to travel to.”
Air India's new business class suites.
Brisbane Airport is already lining up to add Air India to the departures board, with Brisbane Airport Corporation chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff claiming travellers from India now represent the sixth-largest inbound market for Brisbane.
“Queensland accounts for 68 per cent of Australia’s trade with India. Brisbane also serves as the Australian headquarters for a number of Indian companies.
“A direct route between India and Brisbane will only strengthen family and business connections.”
Wilson said the expansion of Air India’s network would be driven by the pace of aircraft deliveries, which for long-range international flights includes 20 Boeing 787s and 10 of the next-gen 777-9s, alongside 40 Airbus A350s.
Air India's new business class suites.
The airline is also investing US$400m in a “complete makeover” of its 40 Boeing 777s and 787s to include new first and business class suites and a fresh take on premium economy.
“We see significant opportunity in long-haul international (flights),” Wilson says. “There is an opportunity for Air India with its non-stop, direct flights and Indian hospitality.”
“As soon as we get aircraft, we would like to put more into Australia, absolutely.”
Air India's new 777 first class cabin.
However, “there are many competing markets for these aircraft, whether it be Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia.”
Wilson also believes Indian airports have the potential to compete with the likes of Singapore, Dubai and Doha as stopover hubs.
“It’s exactly the same geography as the Gulf, Middle East and South-East Asia, so we can participate in all those central networks,” he said.
“We see a massive opportunity to connect India to more corners of the globe with unmatched service and quality.”
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1207
Logically, India is ideally located as a stopover hub between Australia and Europe; it is almost exactly half way. The issue is having a quality hub that people feel safe and comfortable transitting through.
Unfortunately, Indian airports have a reputation of being chaotic and they often are but, airside, places like BOM is modern and no worse than hubs such as DXB, BKK etc. It all comes down to a matter of trust and building up a reputation as a quality hub. It is the same issue facing Air India itself. Over the years, it has developed a reputation for dirty planes, uncaring staff etc. This will take time to overcome as it is a cultural change that Tata and SQ will struggle to achieve.
Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club
19 Apr 2014
Total posts 50
Having travelled to India recently, BLR and DEL are great airports (on par with many SE-Asian airports, and certainly better than any airport we have here). Air India's hard product though, leaves a lot to be desired.
There is also a matter of connecting traffic to europe; with current flight times, time zones and general geography, its almost impossible to get a viable one stop option (leaving Aus) if a curfew is in place.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2013
Total posts 144
I hope they fly to Chennai or Mumbai, rather than Delhi and Bengaluru, where there are existing connections to australia.
QF
03 Jul 2015
Total posts 23
No wonder they like Australia. With minimal competition for direct flights, their current fares, last time I looked, are red hot.
Substantially cheaper to fly CX SYD-HKG-DEL than direct SYD-DEL, on Air India.
And no cracked crockery as well!
08 Apr 2022
Total posts 1
I had suggested to Air India over three years ago to have direct flights from Sydney to Bengaluru which would have been very profitable as they had flights to Delhi which covered the northern hub and Bengaluru would have covered South Indian hub. Being under government control they never cared for good advise. Qantas took the lead and transports loads of cramped Airbus A330 almost everyday full of passengers with atrocious vegetarian meals. I sincerely hope Air India uses Boeing 787 Dreamliner or Airbus A350 and makes life better than being treated as truck load of cattle being transported across the Indian Ocean.
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