Air India will add more premium options on Melbourne-Delhi flights from 1 July 2026, deploying its Boeing 777-300ER with upgraded cabin interiors and introducing First Class on the route.
The reconfigured B777-300ER lifts premium seat capacity on the Melbourne-Delhi service, adding a First Class cabin for the first time alongside upgraded comfort and onboard product across the aircraft.
Configured in a three-class layout, the upgraded aircraft features eight First Class suites, 40 fully flat Business Class beds and 280 Economy Class seats.
The refreshed widebody replaces the B787-8 aircraft currently flying the route, representing a substantial increase in premium capacity compared to the existing plane, which features 18 Business Class and 241 Economy Class seats.
Melbourne travellers will now benefit from an enhanced onboard experience that features First Class private suites with fully flat beds and personalised service, fully flat beds in Business Class with improved comfort, new food and beverage offerings and enhanced inflight entertainment that includes Wi-Fi introduced on this route for the first time.
Eligible premium passengers can also access the airline’s new flagship Maharaja Lounge at Delhi Airport for an elevated pre-flight experience with upgraded dining, seating and service.
For Aussie travellers, the Delhi gateway connects Melbourne to the airline’s wider domestic and international network, which includes convenient, same-terminal connections to European destinations such as London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Milan and Zurich.
Australia remains a key international market for Air India with strong and growing demand for both business and leisure travel. A larger premium cabin and the arrival of First Class give travel advisors more upsell options, from VFR clients trading up to corporate and leisure travellers.
The deployment brings a more consistent and elevated long-haul product to its Melbourne services, aligned with Air India’s ongoing transformation into a world-class global carrier and part of a broader fleet refresh, which has seen the carrier progressively retrofit its widebody cabins.
Air India currently operates four weekly direct flights between Delhi and Melbourne and is scheduled to increase to seven services per week on the route from 1 September 2026.
KARRYON UNPACKS: A three-cabin widebody and the introduction of First Class on Air India’s Melbourne-Delhi route gives advisors more premium product to sell into a growing India market. The new aircraft deployment also signals Air India’s commitment to Australia as the fleet refresh rolls out.
