Melbourne Airport: V Australia touches down from South Africa

A delighted Melbourne Airport CEO Chris Woodruff said: "We are thrilled to welcome V Australia and another new route from Melbourne. This new route will stimulate leisure travel between our state and South Africa while at the same time providing a competitively priced service for those visiting friends and relatives abroad," he said. "Victoria is home to a strong South African community of 19,000 expatriates, and strong business linkages exist between the two regions.

"There is huge demand for this service in the ever-growing Melbourne market. Last year alone almost 40,000 passengers travelled between Victoria and South Africa. In the absence of direct services, many of these passengers flew domestic connections through Sydney and Perth, adding unnecessary time, cost and inconvenience to their travel. I am thrilled to see V Australia capitalise on this market opportunity and offer Victorian travellers the comfort and choice they require," Mr Woodruff said.

Johannesburg is V Australia's third international destination from Melbourne, with services to Los Angeles and Phuket both launched in December last year. That same month Melbourne Airport also welcomed inaugural flights from Qatar Airways and Viva Macau. The airport now boasts 26 international airlines.

"The important role direct international air services provide to Melbourne and Victoria cannot be overstated," said Mr. Woodruff. "Melbourne Airport is proud to deliver significantly lower charges than our interstate competitors, curfew free 24 hour access and a single terminal precinct. With the opening of the first stage of our new international terminal late last year, the airport and Victoria are well-poised for strong international growth over the coming year," he said.

The arrival celebrations were hosted by Sir Richard Branson who flew to Melbourne from South Africa on the inaugural service.