Melbourne Airport is gearing up to welcome a record number of international passengers these summer holidays.

More than 1.56 million international passengers are expected across the December and January holiday period, which represents a 7% increase on pre-pandemic levels and a 44% increase on the 1.08 million travellers processed in the same period last year.

In total, Melbourne Airport is expecting to welcome more than 4.2 million people through its terminals between 20 December and 29 January.

It comes as Melbourne Airport celebrates the launch of Air India’s Melbourne-Mumbai service which will provide the first ever direct connection between Victoria and Mumbai.

With a population of more than 21 million people, Mumbai was Melbourne Airport’s largest unserved market before today’s inaugural flight.

The new service will operate three times a week on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and will supplement Air

India’s existing daily flights between Melbourne and Delhi.

CEO of Melbourne Airport Lorie Argus said the growing international passenger numbers reflect the hard work the airport has done in attracting new airlines whilst bolstering capacity with existing airline partners.

“It’s exciting that we will no longer be benchmarking ourselves against pre-pandemic levels in the international market, but instead setting new records,” she said.

“Unlocking a city of more than 21 million people is huge for our Indian community as well as the broader Victorian economy and wouldn’t be possible without the security of open skies agreements.

“Coming out of Covid the Indian market has boomed, with Melbourne Airport welcoming 433,000 Indian residents through the terminals last financial year, which is more than any other Australian airport.

“The festive period means our terminals and carparks will be busy, so for those driving to the airport we recommend checking for availability and booking parking online and allowing extra time to find a space.

“We’ll have extra customer service staff and technicians in the terminals, so if you are standing in a queue, know that it will move, and staff are doing their best to get you where you need to be.

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll said the international market is increasingly recognising Victoria as a fantastic place to visit.

“When international flights land in Melbourne our restaurants, hotels and retailers get a big tourism boost
across the state,” he said.

“Our hospitality and tourism operators are ready to welcome travellers from across the globe and provide them with some of the best Australia has to offer – at the same time boosting local jobs across Victoria.”