Qantas Airways on Wednesday launched a new route between Bengaluru (BLR) and Sydney (SYD), offering the first direct connection between South India and Australia by an airline. QF68 will cut the fastest travel time between the two cities by nearly three hours and significantly improve connectivity between India and New South Wales, the Australian airline said.

Since the announcement of the new service earlier in the year, demand for the route has been high, and inaugural flights, both inbound and outbound, have sold out in all cabins, the company said in a statement. For people living in Bengaluru and southern India, it’s a convenient non-stop flight to Sydney for a dream vacation or to visit friends and family, the airline said. . Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said aviation would boost tourism and economic links and opportunities between Australia and India.

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The addition of Bengaluru to our route map strengthens our relationship with India and follows last year’s launch of a direct service from Australia to Delhi, which has also proven popular. Qantas is now the only airline offering direct flights between Australia’s two largest cities and northern and southern India,” he said.

Satyaki Raghunath, director of strategy and development at Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), said the launch of the new Qantas Bengaluru Sydney route was a “historic” moment for BLR airport. This is a historic event as it is the first time a non-stop service connects South and Central India to Australia,” he said. Qantas will fly the A330 from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport to Sydney four times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

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