Qantas Airways launches first direct flight between Bengaluru-Sydney, reduces travel time by three hours

To reduce travel time and to give passengers the utmost convenience of travelling, Qantas Airways has launched a new air route connecting Bengaluru (BLR) to Sydney (SYD). This is the first direct connection between southern India and Australia by any airline. QF68 will cut nearly three hours off the current fastest travel time between the two cities and significantly boost connectivity between India and New South Wales. Qantas will fly an A330 aircraft from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport to Sydney four times per week on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Since the announcement of the new service earlier this year, the route has seen strong demand, with both the outbound and inbound inaugural flights sold out in all cabins, it said in a statement. For people living in Bengaluru and southern India, it's a convenient non-stop flight to Sydney for a dream holiday or to visit friends and family, the airline said.

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the flights will boost tourism and economic relations and opportunities between Australia and India. “The addition of Bengaluru to our route map deepens our ties with India and follows the launch of direct services from Australia to Delhi last year which has also proven popular. Qantas is now the only airline offering direct flights between Australia's two largest cities and the north and south of India," he said.

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Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Satyaki Raghunath said the start of the new Qantas Bengaluru Sydney route was a 'historic' moment for BLR Airport. “This is a historic occasion considering that it is the first ever non-stop service connecting South and Central India to Australia,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)