Australia’s flag carrier Qantas Airways inaugurated the first ever non-stop service between Sydney and Bengaluru on September 14, becoming the only carrier to connect Australia directly with southern India. On Wednesday, Qantas flight QF67 bound for Bengaluru, operated by an Airbus A330 aircraft, took off from Sydney Airport at 10:11 local time covering a total flight distance of 5,810 miles (9350km) in 11hour 30 minutes.
Expanding direct connection to Bengaluru
For the first time, travelers from southern India will benefit from nonstop access to Sydney with the launching of Qantas’ direct service on the Sydney-Bengaluru route. The much-awaited, nonstop flight service will cut almost three hours of the current fastest trip between the Silicon Valley and Sydney available through via flights.
Qantas Airways will operate four weekly return flights year-round on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The 4x weekly flights will complement the carrier’s existing operations on the Melbourne-Delhi route. Qantas operates four flights a week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) from Victoria’s capital Melbourne to India’s capital city. The commencement of Bengaluru operations makes Qantas the solo airline linking Australia’s two largest cities to both northern and southern India.
BPCL is proud to be associated with Qantas Airways, the flag carrier of Australia at Bengaluru Airport when it started its first non-stop 4 days a week flight from Sydney to the city.
— Bharat Petroleum (@BPCLimited) September 18, 2022
In India, Qantas currently operates a direct flight to New Delhi also. pic.twitter.com/qsTjj9Uunj
For the current week, the flight itinerary is scheduled as:
QF67: Depart Sydney at 09:30 am and arrive in Bengaluru at 16:55
QF68: Depart Bengaluru at 18:35 and arrive in Sydney at 10:20 the next day
(Note: all times are mentioned local)
Boosting relations between two countries
India is an integral part of Qantas’ international expansion and the addition of Bengaluru to its route network further strengthens the carrier’s ties with India. India is a viable destination for Qantas, with a major demand during the December holiday time. The expansion of air connectivity to Bengaluru will enable faster and more convenient travel and strengthen tourism & economic relations between Australia and India. Bengaluru is the technological capital of India and hosts plenty of Australian and global financial technology firms. The Sydney-Bengaluru flight will benefit corporate travelers and expand trade and investment links between the two countries. Likewise, Australia is a crucial market for South Indian students, businessmen, and leisure travelers and the newly launched non-stop service entails a convenient option for them to travel to Sydney for dream holidays, VFR (visiting friends &relatives), study, or business purposes.
The inauguration of the new Qantas Bengaluru-Sydney route is a historic milestone for Bangalore International Airport and will further bolster its position as the aerial gateway to South and Central India.
Deploying Airbus A330-200 aircraft
The national airline of Australia, Qantas Airways will deploy Airbus A330-200 aircraft for this long-haul route. The 11.8year-old A330-200 registered VH-EBP performed the maiden flight from Sydney to Bengaluru. It has a seating capacity of 251 passengers in a two-class configuration: 27 fully-flat business seats and 224 standard economy seats. Qantas received the delivery of CH-EBP in December 2010.
Since the announcement of the first direct route between Australia and southern India in April 2022, Qantas has seen strong air traffic demand for this service, and all of its seats in both outbound and inbound maiden flights were entirely sold out. In the pre-pandemic year, there were over 50,000 round-trip point-to-point customers, on the Sydney-Bengaluru route alone.
To celebrate the new achievement, Qantas has introduced Indian hospitality onboard with Indian-inspired in-flight menu items in the Sydney-Bengaluru sector. The business-class customers can savor the delicious Lamb Chettinad while economy-class customers get the opportunity to enjoy Paneer Makhani, Cumin Seed Pilaf, Green Peas, and Beans Masala.
Codeshare agreement with IndiGo
Ahead of the new Sydney-Bengaluru service, Australia’s state-owned Qantas Airways and India’s largest airline IndiGo entered a codeshare agreement in August 2022. Coinciding with the new route commencement starting 14 September, passengers can enjoy seamless connection to 11 destinations on IndiGo from Bengaluru which includes Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Goa, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Patna, and Lucknow.
The codeshare will be expanded in the coming months, enabling travelers to benefit from improved one-stop access to Sydney from more than 50 Indian cities in which the Indian low-cost carrier has a presence. As part of the agreement, Qantas customers flying on IndiGo will be able to reap the same baggage allowance and meal benefits as traveling on Qantas, and its frequent flyers can earn and redeem points on connecting IndiGo flights( bearing QF code). The Gurgaon-headquartered carrier will recognize the benefits of Qantas’ Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum members pertaining to check-in and baggage allowance.
About Qantas
Qantas Airways is the flagship airline of Australia and one of the longest-standing airlines in the world as its foundation traces back to November 1920. It is the largest and most popular airline in Australia with a fleet size of over 120 aircraft and an extensive network of 85 destinations.
