Following Virgin Australia’s return to long-haul international flying in June this year, the airline has marked a major new milestone with the launch of its inaugural Melbourne-Doha service ahead of the Christmas travel rush.

The new route unlocks seamless one-stop access to more than 170 global destinations via Doha through Qatar Airways’ network and is expected to inject more than $190 million into Victoria’s economy each year by bringing in more visitors and supporting the export of local products.

With Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways now operating daily services between Australia and Doha from most major Australian capital cities, annual capacity on these routes has grown 53 per cent to 2.65 million seats.

Virgin Australia Chief Executive Officer, Dave Emerson, said the inaugural Melbourne-Doha service represents a pivotal moment for Virgin Australia and for Australian travellers.

“Our new Melbourne–Doha service is a major milestone for Virgin Australia and for the millions of Australians who want more choice and value when travelling internationally,” he said.

“Together with Qatar Airways, we’re able to offer competitive airfares between Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa, while creating new economic opportunities that will benefit tourism, trade and Australian jobs.

“Virgin Australia continues to go from strength to strength and with the expansion of our international network to include four daily services between Australia and Doha, we are set to have one of our busiest summers on record.

“It’s a proud moment to see so many people travelling with Virgin Australia to visit their friends and family and reconnect with loved ones this holiday season.”

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said: “Qatar Airways is proud to mark an important milestone with Virgin Australia as we welcome the inaugural Melbourne–Doha service to our award-winning Hamad International Airport – the final new route in our 2025 expansion.

“This launch reflects months of hard work from both teams and our shared commitment to giving Australians greater choice, better value and world-class premium service.

“Importantly, this partnership delivers benefits well beyond passenger travel. With Virgin Australia using Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777s on the route, we can now offer additional cargo capacity between Melbourne and Doha.

“This represents a significant boost for Australian exporters, strengthening the nation’s ability to reach global markets quickly and reliably. We’re proud to support local businesses and play a role in driving Australia’s economic growth.”