Mumbai: Air India on Tuesday said it will launch direct flight service from Mumbai to Melbourne in Australia, on December 15, as part of its global route network expansion plans.

The flight services on the new route will be operated three-times-a-week and will add nearly 40,000 seats per year into the Australian state of Victoria, Air India said in a statement. Air India currently operates daily flights to Melbourne and Sydney from Delhi, flying 28 times every week between India and Australia.