Air India on Tuesday said it will launch direct flight service from Mumbai to Melbourne in Australia, on December 15, as part of its global route network expansion plans.

The flight services on the new route will be operated three-times-a-week and will add nearly 40,000 seats per year into the Australian state of Victoria, Air India said in a statement.

Air India currently operates daily flights to Melbourne and Sydney from Delhi, flying 28 times every week between India and Australia.

Victoria state is estimated to have over 200,000 Indian diaspora, constituting about 40 per cent of the total Indian diaspora in Australia, as per the private airline.

The new services aim to respond to the growing demand to visit friends and relatives as well as to capture demand for business and leisure travel to the region, it said.

"We look forward to launching the only non-stop flight between Mumbai and Melbourne. This is a great step forward in our ongoing transformation programme, which among other aspects aims at connecting India to more of the world with non-stop flights," said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer at Air India.

According to the airline, travellers from 17 Indian cities can take convenient, one-stop connections to and from Melbourne via Delhi or Mumbai.

The new Mumbai-Melbourne route, will be operated by Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft in two class configuration -- 18 flat beds in business and 238 seats in economy class -- further enabling seamless two-way connectivity between London Heathrow and Melbourne via Delhi and Mumbai, Air India said.

"We're very excited that the first direct flights from Mumbai to Australia will land in Melbourne. This new route will boost tourism, create local jobs and open more pathways for Victorian businesses to reach one of the world's fastest growing economies," said Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Jobs and Industry, Victoria State Government, Australia.

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