More than 900 jobs will be created and tourism businesses boosted as Qatar Airways expands its services to Melbourne, thanks to support from the Andrews Labor Government.
Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Ben Carroll today announced the airline will fly a second daily service from Doha to Melbourne starting from Saturday, 1 October, bringing more visitors to the state and boosting outbound airfreight capacity for exporters on the airline's Boeing 777 aircraft.
The new service is backed by both the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport and will see Tullamarine as the only Australian airport the airline flies to twice a day.
Once fully operational, Qatar Airways' two daily flights to Melbourne will provide 250,000 seats to Victoria each year, generating around $82 million in economic activity and creating an estimated 910 jobs in the aviation and tourism sectors.
The large freight capacity of the Boeing 777 means the flights will also provide over 10,000 tonnes of air freight capacity each year, boosting Victorian exporters' access to markets in Europe and the Middle East.
Qatar is one of the richest economies in the world by GDP per capita and a growing consumer of Victorian products. Meat and dairy are Victoria's most valuable exports to Qatar by airfreight, valued at over $47 million in 2021.
Qatar Airways joins other major airlines including Singapore, United, Qantas, Emirates and Etihad in expanding direct services to Melbourne with the support of the Victorian Government.
Victoria's international aviation sector directly employs 6,700 people and supports thousands of other jobs.
As stated by Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Ben Carroll
"Backing international aviation supports our economy and we will continue to work with airlines like Qatar Airways to establish and expand routes into Melbourne to boost local jobs."
As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
"Today's announcement is another sign of confidence in the future growth of our tourism industry. The extra flights will make it even easier for visitors to come and enjoy everything we're known for - from our food scene and cultural institutions to major events."
As stated by Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus
"It's exciting to see airlines like Qatar adding more services into Melbourne, which is a huge win for passengers and exporters with extra capacity helping drive down prices."
As stated by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker
"Melbourne is the original home for Qatar Airways in Australia and we are excited to enhance our operations there - as a testament to both strong demand and our deep commitment to Australia."
