British Airways is to launch a new Melbourne-London service next year that will avoid the Middle East with a stopover in Malaysia.
The new daily service between Tullamarine and Heathrow airports is due to start on January 9, 2027, using a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9.
Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus says the news highlights her airport as Australia’s best connected 24-hour gateway.
“We are thrilled to welcome British Airways back to Melbourne Airport; we’re incredibly excited about what this extra choice means for travellers and exporters,” she says.
“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 is the clear choice for Europeans heading to Australia or Australians looking to travel abroad.”
BRITISH DEMAND
She says having the country’s largest British expat community should ensure no lack of demand.
“The average daily international service injects around $190 million into the Victorian economy each year which is why it’s so important that we continue to attract and support more services such as this to Melbourne,” she says.
(The airline has extended its temporary reduction in services around the Middle East due to the war in Iran.)
Argus points out that last month they confirmed plans for a $4.5 billion expansion of their international terminal involving a third runway.
British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer Neil Chernoff says they are confident the service will prove popular.
“We’re excited to be returning to this great city,” he says.
The airline says the service is one of several that it is adding to high-demand networks worldwide.
Industry Minister Colin Brooks says securing the service “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,” he says
Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos says “these flights from London will make it easier for more visitors to experience everything Victoria has to offer”.
The Victorian Government says the UK is their fourth largest source of international visitors and their 12th largest air freight export market (worth $376 million).
The 2025 Melbourne Airport Economic report found that a single daily international service contributes $190 million (direct and indirect) to the state economy and supports about 2000 jobs.
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