Taxpayers help British Airways start Melbourne flights

By Andrew Curran.

British Airways will commence daily flights to Melbourne (MEL) in early 2027 with assistance from the Victorian State Government.

The B787-9-operated services, which are an extension of existing flights to Kuala Lumpur (KUL), will start on January 17. British Airways haven’t operated regularly to Melbourne since 2006.

In a March 17, 2026, statement, the Victorian Government cited a 2025 Melbourne Airport Economic report that said a single daily international service contributes an estimated AUD190 million (USD134 million) in gross value add to the state’s economy and supported approximately 2,000 jobs.

Neither the government nor the airline has disclosed the precise details of the assistance provided, but the government said it would help strengthen connections with a key economic partner. The government can match airline investments on a dollar-for-dollar basis under its Visit Victoria Industry Partnerships Program.

In its statement, the Victorian Government said it would continue to back international aviation growth because of the jobs and investment it delivers to Australia’s second most populous state.

“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,” said the Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Colin Brooks.

Other Australian states offer similar programmes to incentivise airlines to fly to particular airports.

Victorian Government lures international airlines to Melbourne

In its heyday, British Airways flew to Sydney (SYD), Melbourne, Brisbane (ADL), Adelaide (ADL), and Perth (PER). But the carrier began winding down its Australian network in the 1990s. Since exiting Melbourne two decades ago, it has only maintained its flights to Sydney.

But the Victorian State Government has actively courted international airlines to start, restart, or upgrade flights to Melbourne, Australia’s second biggest city and second busiest passenger airport.

In recent years, Turkish Airlines, Asiana Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hong Kong Airlines, Finnair, and Shenzhen Airlines have all agreed to enter or boost their presence at Melbourne Airport, thanks to the Victorian taxpayer.

By next year, Melbourne will be served by three European carriers – BA, Turkish, and Finnair. No other Australian airport can boast that, including Sydney, which only hosts BA and Turkish flights. Finnair aircraft seen at Sydney Airport are planes wet-leased to Qantas.

A continuation of existing flights to Kuala Lumpur

British Airways’ Melbourne flights are a continuation of the existing BA33/34 round-trips between London Heathrow (LHR) and Kuala Lumpur.

British Airways will compete with the thrice-daily Malaysia Airlines A330-900N-operated round-trips and daily AirAsia X A330-330-operated round-trips on the KUL – MEL sector. Qantas does not operate on the city-pair.

“We’re delighted to announce sizable growth to our flying schedule for Winter 2026, including a new route to Melbourne,” said British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer Neil Chernoff.

“We have a long history of connecting Britain and Australia, and we’re excited to be returning to this great city.”

BA’s B787-9s operate in a four-cabin configuration. Aircraft seating charts shown when making dummy bookings over the first few months of 2027 indicate that British Airways plans to operate a mix of refurbished and refurbished aircraft on the route. However, the refurbished aircraft have subpar premium cabin configurations, including an unpopular 2-3-2 layout in business class.

Photo: Stuart Bailey via British Airways.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com