New Delhi: Premium international travel between India and Australia is set for a significant upgrade as Air India prepares to introduce its ultra-luxury First Class service on non-stop flights between Delhi and Melbourne starting July 1. The major product enhancement comes as the Tata Group-owned carrier replaces its existing Boeing 787-8 aircraft with a newly retrofitted and significantly larger Boeing 777-300ER. The aircraft upgrade responds directly to the surging travel demand from corporate leaders, students, and the expansive Indian diaspora settled across Australia.
The newly deployed Boeing 777-300ER will operate in a premium three-class configuration, introducing eight exclusive, private First Class suites, 40 fully flat Business Class beds, and 280 spacious Economy Class seats. This deployment marks a massive capacity jump from the previous aircraft, which was limited to 28 Business Class seats and 241 Economy seats. According to Air India officials, the First Class suites will feature premium leather-upholstered seating that transforms into fully flat beds, accompanied by highly personalized crew services and bespoke gourmet dining. Business Class travellers will also benefit from vastly superior seat width, enhanced privacy partitions, and upgraded amenities on the long-haul sector.
In a first for passengers on this specific route, the airline is introducing high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing travellers to remain connected across the oceans. To further elevate the long-haul experience, the full-service carrier has refreshed its onboard food and beverage menus with curated culinary options featuring a mix of authentic regional Indian dishes and global cuisine, paired with top-tier international wines. The inflight entertainment system has similarly been overhauled, offering an expanded multi-lingual library of movies, television shows, and audio content.
This strategic deployment forms a core pillar of Air India’s ongoing fleet transformation and modernization roadmap aimed at matching global aviation standards. Premium passengers departing from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport will also receive access to the airline’s newly revamped flagship Maharaja Lounge, featuring upgraded pre-flight dining and ground hospitality. Air India currently flies non-stop between Delhi and Melbourne four times a week, with plans already formalized to scale up to daily operations from September 1, offering seamless same-terminal connections to major European hubs including London, Paris, and Frankfurt.
