Air India has signed a new codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia, boosting connectivity between India and Australia. Under the agreement, Air India will operate codeshare flights to 16 cities across Virgin Australia’s network.
On Monday (February 17, 2025), Air India announced the signing of a new codeshare partnership with Virgin Australia, which will substantially boost connectivity between India and Australia. With the new agreement, Air India will operate codeshare flights to 16 destinations on the Virgin Australia network across Australia and New Zealand. When traveling from Delhi to Melbourne or Sydney, Air India guests will enjoy seamless one-stop onward connectivity to Adelaide, Ballina/Byron Bay, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Queenstown (New Zealand), Sunshine Coast, and Sydney.
In Monday’s announcement, Virgin Australia’s Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Alistair Hartley, said,
“We are pleased to partner with Air India to make it easier for their customers to explore everything Australia has to offer. India is a growing tourism market for Australia and this partnership will encourage travellers arriving on one of Air India’s 14 weekly flights to explore more of our wonderful country thanks to seamless onward connections on the Virgin Australia network.”
Also commenting on the new unilateral codeshare agreement, Air India’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nipun Aggarwal, added,
“Australia is one of Air India’s most important international markets, so it is incredibly exciting for us to be partnering with Virgin Australia to expand our presence in the region. While the partnership provides greater ease and access for the large Indian diaspora spread across the continent, it also opens up a whole new range of destinations for holidaymakers wanting to soak up the beaches of Gold Coast, discover Tasmania, or to explore the natural wonders of The Great Barrier Reef.”
Currently, Air India operates 14 weekly flights from India to Australia, with daily nonstop service from Delhi to both Melbourne and Sydney. These routes are operated with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 18 fully lie-flat Business Class and 238 Economy Class seats. Codeshare itineraries have been available for booking since February 11th, with the first codeshare flights to operate from February 18, 2025.
Source: Air India