Indian national carrier Air India has announced to resume direct, non stip flights between Delhi and Sydney thrice a week starting November 15. This comes after the Australian flag carrier Qantas had announced to make the route operational after almost a decade with new flights starting from December 6. Qantas will commence service on the Sydney-Delhi route via Darwin, while flights from Delhi to Sydney would operate non-stop.

Sharing the information via a tweet, Air India informed that booking would start from 1200 hours on 03 November through the Air India website, booking offices, call centres, and authorised travel agents. The deal also includes the sale of Air India Express and ground handling arm AISATS.

Earlier this month, the New South Wales state of Australia had announced to open borders and end quarantine for international travellers starting November 1, foreshadowing the full return of overseas travel after more than 19 months. The move has resulted in both airlines commencing flight operations between India and Australia, which will be significantly beneficial for tourists as India has also announced the resumption of Tourist-Visa for international travellers starting November 15.

As per the latest travel guidelines updated on October 26, all travellers arriving in Australia are required to undergo a 14 quarantine. Currently, entry of tourists is restricted down under, and only select/permitted categories or those granted individual exemptions are allowed to enter Australia.

Qantas will also operate flights between Sydney and Delhi thrice-a-week initially on its A330 aircraft, building to daily flights by end of the year. The flights would operate until at least late March 2022, with a view to continuing if there is sufficient demand.