Air India and Virgin Australia are launching a new codeshare partnership in response to an increasing number of Indian passengers looking to visit alternative cities to just Sydney and Melbourne.
Under the new codeshare agreement announced on February 17, 2025, Air India customers flying to Sydney of Melbourne will be able to connect seamlessly onto Virgin Australia flights.
This will unlock access to 16 regional destinations in Australia and New Zealand in which Air India passengers can fly on a single ticket and have their baggage checked through the entire journey.
The 16 cities in Australia and New Zealand include: Adelaide, Ballina/Byron Bay, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Queenstown (New Zealand), Sunshine Coast, and Sydney.
“We are pleased to partner with Air India to make it easier for their customers to explore everything Australia has to offer. India is a growing tourism market for Australia and this partnership will encourage travellers arriving on one of Air India’s 14 weekly flights to explore more of our wonderful country thanks to seamless onward connections on the Virgin Australia network,” said Alistair Hartley, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Virgin Australia.
Air India operates 14 weekly Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights from India to Australia, flying non-stop daily from Delhi to Melbourne and Delhi to Sydney.
“Australia is one of Air India’s most important international markets, so it is incredibly exciting for us to be partnering with Virgin Australia to expand our presence in the region. While the partnership provides greater ease and access for the large Indian diaspora spread across the continent, it also opens up a whole new range of destinations for holidaymakers wanting to soak up the beaches of Gold Coast, discover Tasmania, or to explore the natural wonders of The Great Barrier Reef,” said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India.
The unilateral codeshare agreement enables Air India to place its ‘AI’ code on flights operated by Virgin Australia. Flights utilizing the codeshare agreement launch on February 18, 2025.
