Australia signs Open Skies agreement with India

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MEL has a huge Indian diaspora. Hopefully this allows more nonstop flights to BOM and DEL on a sustainable basis. It’s a route screaming for QF and the 787 in a “mid-haul” config.
 
I know QF is looking towards direct services to Europe, but SYD-BOM-LHR would almost be equal flight lengths on both legs... perhaps a much nicer experience than SIN or DXB.
 
QF uses to fly direct SYD to BOM. From memory it was a 14hr flight?

I remember seeing Sachin Tendulkar whisked onto the same flight as me. This was about 98 I think.
 
QF uses to fly direct SYD to BOM. From memory it was a 14hr flight?

I remember seeing Sachin Tendulkar whisked onto the same flight as me. This was about 98 I think.

For quite a while they did flights SYD-SIN-BOM, or SYD-BNE-BOM, and some time they did BOM-SYD non stop, but on the outbound had a fuel stop in DRW.
 
Back in the 80's I recall flying PER-SIN-BOM-LHR a few times. I recall one had the option to either remain on the aircraft of head into the terminal in BOM. My mother ventured into the terminal....she regretted that.
 
Nice idea the open skies, but I wonder the demand? AI barely seems to be able to make it work (they were rumoured to be losing a substantial amount of money. QF doesn't fly it anymore. Maybe one of the Indian LCCs could lease an aircraft for it - but they'd need more than 2 frames to be able to run a daily service which could push out their costs.
 
I wonder if Emirates would be interested in a fifth-freedom tag flight such as DXB-BOM-SYD?
 
I very much doubt that it would be profitable at any level, by anyone.
 
Nice idea the open skies, but I wonder the demand? AI barely seems to be able to make it work (they were rumoured to be losing a substantial amount of money. QF doesn't fly it anymore. Maybe one of the Indian LCCs could lease an aircraft for it - but they'd need more than 2 frames to be able to run a daily service which could push out their costs.

Yes only AI offer this as a direct service at present, but even Indians have standards and AI is admittedly a very bad airline.

Getting from AUS to India is quite well serviced by connections in SIN, KUL, BKK or HKG and those routes at least offer a decent airline choice.
 
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I very much doubt that it would be profitable at any level, by anyone.
JB - did you ever fly to India, perhaps in your 767 days?

I recall reading somewhere that apparently the Bombay flights were the least preferred routes for both pilots and cabin crew when "bidding" for rosters?
 
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