(TAN): The first commercial Qantas flight from Australia to India in almost a decade flew this week, marking another milestone in Australia’s reopening to the world, the airline said in a statement.
The Sydney-Delhi service and the Melbourne-Delhi service, which starts just before Christmas, have been the fastest selling routes on the national carrier’s international network since borders reopened, with most flights in December almost entirely sold out, the airline claimed.
Qantas is operating three weekly return flights from Sydney to Delhi, which will increase in January 2022, and four weekly return flights from Melbourne to begin from December 22, 2021.
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Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said demand for flights between Australia and India had surpassed the airline’s expectations. “We’re thrilled to be beginning commercial flights to India for the first time in almost a decade,” David said. “There’s a huge amount of pent up demand from friends and family wanting to reunite after being separated for so long. There was an incredible response when we announced both our new routes to Delhi. Forward bookings for the next few months are well ahead of our initial forecasts so while it’s early days, it’s an exciting start.”
This is the first time Qantas has operated a commercial service to India since the end of its Brisbane to Mumbai service in 2012 and the airline’s first regular passenger flight from Australia to Delhi since 1974.
