Australia is one of the most traveled destinations for Indians. Their purpose of the visit includes tourism, education, business, job opportunities, medical treatments, and many more! Indians rank in the top 5 arrivals by citizenship and third-largest immigrant population over the past several years in Australia.  

Currently, there is no direct flight from the metro city of Mumbai to Sydney. In fact, there are no direct flights from the western and southwestern regions of India i.e. Ahmedabad or Bengaluru to Sydney. All current flights have at least 1 stop and take about 20 to 30 hours each way which proves to be costly and time-consuming.

On my way recent trip from Sydney to Mumbai, I've personally had two layovers which left me tired and my family anxious about my well-being. In addition to my tickets, I had to spend on hotel/ lounge accommodation and meals during my 7+hour layover at Singapore and Colombo, Sri Lanka. I was deeply moved when I saw fellow passengers with crying babies, women, and helpless senior citizens navigating through layovers without many options. While in Singapore, last-minute cancellations to fellow passengers only added to their travel time and anxiety for their onward journeys. The difficulties to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated the long travel times between the two major cities.

There is a direct route from New Delhi to Sydney operated by Qantas and Air India. This attracts travelers locally and from surrounding areas like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and more. Similarly, Mumbai-Sydney direct route will prove to be highly efficient and profitable for both travelers and the aviation industry. If not, a stopover in Singapore/ Hong Kong or any other country should be considered. It will serve the very high demand of the metropolitan city of Mumbai/ Maharashtra and the surrounding states of Goa, Gujarat, and Karnataka. Many senior citizens, students, medical patients, and professionals will bypass long layovers, mid-journey flight changes, travel anxieties, and layover expenses. Thereby encouraging frequent travel via the Mumbai-Sydney route. 

We request you to take this petition into consideration and start this route for a win-win solution for service providers and the general public.