New flights will soon operate daily between Melbourne and London in a major win for Victorian exporters, businesses and tourists.
Minister Brooks today announced British Airways will commence a daily direct service between London Heathrow Airport and Melbourne Airport, via Kuala Lumpur from January 2027.
The flights will make it faster and more efficient to access a key global market.
The UK is Victoria's fourth largest source of international visitors and our 12th largest air freight export market, worth $376 million.
The new service will strengthen trade and tourism and reinforce Victoria's position as Australia's leading destination for events, business and education.
British Airways is part of the International Airlines Group, the world's third largest airline group, connecting Victoria to more than 285 destinations globally through its network.
The Allan Labor Government continues to back international aviation growth because of the jobs and investment it delivers.
In addition to British Airways, Labor has supported new and expanded services from Delta Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines.
The 2025 Melbourne Airport Economic report found that a single daily international service contributes an estimated $190 million (direct and indirect) in gross value add to Victoria's economy and supports approximately 2,000 FTE jobs.
As stated by Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing Colin Brooks
"Securing these flights operated by British Airways to London is a major win for Victoria - strengthening our ties with a global economic powerhouse and unlocking new opportunities for trade, investment and local jobs.
"These new flights put Victoria in a stronger global position, making it easier for our businesses to reach key markets and for more visitors to experience everything our state has to offer."
As stated by Minister for As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
"These flights from London will make it easier for more visitors to experience everything Victoria has to offer, supporting tourism businesses and jobs right across the state."
As stated by British Airways' Chief Planning and Strategy Officer Neil Chernoff
"We're delighted to announce sizable growth to our flying schedule for Winter 2026, including a new route to Melbourne that I am confident will prove popular with our customers."
"We have a long history of connecting Britain and Australia, and we're excited to be returning to this great city. We're also increasing services across several high-demand routes around the world and together, these changes represent a significant investment in our network, adding even more options and choice for our customers."
As stated by Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus
"With the largest choice of airlines flying to the UK and Europe, 24-hour operations and the shortest minimum connection time of any Australian airport, Melbourne Airport is now the clear choice for Europeans heading to Australia or Australians looking to travel abroad."
