Air India eyes more flights to Australia

Air India is gearing up for rapid growth in Australia, its prospects buoyed by new first and business class suites and a rebooted frequent flyer program. They’re all key elements as the now-privatised airline – now owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group – refines its approach to win over premium flyers, including business travellers and corporate giants, along with discerning leisure travellers. Australia holds “plenty of untapped potential” for Air India, CEO Campbell Wilson revealed at a recent airline industry conference in Brisbane. “Clearly there’s a huge amount of opportunity to grow, not just in terms of frequency, but certainly in respect of city coverage.” The Star Alliance member currently flies “only to Sydney and Melbourne, and only 17 times a week,” he said. “We see a significant opportunity with the Indian diaspora, and Australia is ranked, I think, in the top three of the markets Indians want to travel to.”<br/>