Air India enters into codeshare partnership with Virgin Australia

Air India enters into codeshare partnership with Virgin Australia

Air India and Virgin Australia have formed a new codeshare partnership to improve travel connectivity between India and Australia. Through this agreement, Air India can place its ‘AI’ code on Virgin Australia flights, providing smooth onward connections for passengers traveling beyond Sydney and Melbourne to 16 destinations across Australia and New Zealand.

According to a release from Air India on Monday, this partnership expands the travel options for Air India customers flying from Delhi to Melbourne or Sydney, allowing them to easily connect to 16 additional destinations on Virgin Australia flights.

The cities included in this partnership are Adelaide, Ballina/Byron Bay, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Sydney (Australia), and Queenstown (New Zealand).

Passengers traveling on a single ticket through this codeshare will enjoy a more convenient journey, with the added benefit of baggage being checked through to their final destination.

Alistair Hartley, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Virgin Australia shared his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “India is a growing tourism market for Australia, and this collaboration will encourage travellers on Air India’s 14 weekly flights to explore more of our wonderful country.”

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, emphasized the importance of the partnership, highlighting that it improves accessibility for both the Indian diaspora and tourists eager to explore iconic Australian attractions like the Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania.

Air India currently operates 14 non-stop weekly flights between Delhi and Melbourne, as well as Sydney, using Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The airline has over 16 codeshare agreements and approximately 100 interline partnerships with various airlines.

A codeshare agreement generally enables an airline to book passengers on a partner carrier’s flights, with all travel arranged under a single ticket.

Bookings for the new codeshare will begin on February 11, 2025, with the first codeshare flights set to operate from February 18, 2025.