More than 1.56 million international passengers are expected at Melbourne Airport in December 2023 as Air India launches its first-ever Melbourne-Mumbai flights.
The Victorian hub’s predicted passenger volume represents a seven per cent increase on pre-pandemic levels and a 44 per cent month-on-month rise compared to 2022 numbers.
The inaugural nonstop Melbourne-Mumbai flight departed on 15 December 2023 and will supplement Air India’s existing daily flights between Melbourne and Delhi.
The new service will operate three times a week on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Air India also recently revealed its new crew uniform.
This year, the airport also received its first-ever nonstop flights to South Korea along with increased capacity to Vietnam and welcomed back Aircalin’s direct Noumea services and LATAM’s Santiago flights.
CEO Lorie Argus said the growing international passenger numbers are due to new airlines and additional capacity with existing carriers.
“It’s exciting that we will no longer be benchmarking ourselves against pre-pandemic levels in the international market but instead setting new records,” she said.
“Coming out of COVID, the Indian market has boomed with the airport welcoming 433,000 Indian residents through the terminals last financial year, which is more than any other Australian airport.”
In total, MEL forecasts more than 4.2 million people will travel through its terminals between 20 December 2023 and 29 January 2024.
Ms Argus said airport terminals and carparks will be busy across the holiday period and advised travellers to book parking online.
“We’ll have extra customer service staff and technicians in the terminals, so if you are standing in a queue, know that it will move and staff are doing their best to get you where you need to be.”
For more info, head to melbourneairport.com.au
